The First Day
by JonesnInDaHood
Summary: On the first day of Christmas Edward Cullen uproots his life and the life of his children to start anew. They move from one coast to another to escape the past, unaware that the family next door would be the key to a new future.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: We own nothing but our thoughts.

No beta. Just us with weekly posts. We've been trying to upload for the last two days. Merry effing Christmas.

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In Western Christianity, Christmas begins on December the 25th and doesn't end until January 5th. The twelve days symbolize the time between Christ's birth and the night before the Epiphany (the day the Magi came bearing gifts).

We've taken this celebratory Christmas carol and together created a story for you with our own figurative and/or literal interpretations. We will be sharing our inspiration/prompts at the beginning of each chapter and hope you enjoy.

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Chapter One:

Partridge in a Pear Tree

According to Greek legend, the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix, off the sacred hill of Athena in a fit of jealous rage. Supposedly mindful of his fall, the bird does not build its nest in the trees, nor take lofty flights and avoids high places.

...

Fifteen year-old Alec Cullen stared through the windows of the airport terminal, dreading his first, and hopefully last flight across the country. A relentless Seattle rain set in as he quietly observed. Rainwater pounded the glass, wetting the tarmac, the plane's tires, and the wings, and everything.

Rain and a speeding plane. They didn't mix.

Alec raised an open bottle of water to his mouth. He swallowed down his nervousness along with a stolen bar of Xanax he'd swiped from his father's medicine cabinet. He capped the bottle. The thin plastic shook in his hand.

He wasn't one who scared easily. At least, he never used to be. But, heights … Alec didn't do heights.

At the age of six his twin sister, Jane, in a fit of jealous rage over a Buzz Lightyear doll, had elbowed him off a stone wall near the edge of their property. Jane'd squealed in delight at the time, thrusting her winged-prize over her head in a symbol of victory while her little brother, younger by four minutes, lay quivering in pain on the soft, muddy forest floor below.

Once she noticed him crying on the ground, Jane, who'd always been a little shit, ran off without a word of consolation. At the time, Alec believed she'd run for help. But then the daylight turned to dusk, and the forest creatures so normally resting during the day began to roam the woods that night. Alec, cold, pained, and all alone aside from the stuffed cowboy doll clutched in his hand, heard the rustling around in the leaves and bracken. He'd stared into the dark maze of trees in terror, waiting for the glow of eyes and wet, snarling snouts to emerge from the depths of darkness to devour him.

When his father finally found him later that night, he'd grown cold and quiet in his hysteria, a foul smelling ring of urine staining his jeans. Against Alec's protest, Jane earned a spanking from their father that night, and Alec earned a trip to the ER.

Alec's right arm ached not only from the rain, but also from the memory of a broken limb. After tossing his empty water bottle into a trash can, he absently rubbed his arm, remembering the crack and instantaneous stab of pain.

"You got another one of those pills?

Jane snapped her gum and raised her eyebrows in question. Annoyance bubbled in his chest. If not for her they wouldn't need to board the plan. Wouldn't need to steal anti-anxiety medication from his father's medicine cabinet. Wouldn't need to uproot their lives to move to a place in freaking North Carolina, of all places.

Alec could practically hear the banjos playing in the background.

"No clue what you're talking about," Alec lied.

He rarely confessed to Jane anything he wouldn't want repeated. The only secrets Jane kept quiet were the ones that protected herself.

"You could always get your own refill you know, instead of always sneaking Dad's." Jane inspected her nails. The black polish with glittering moons and stars were chipped near the tips. "Dad'll start to notice soon. He hasn't taken one of those pills since right after," Jane stopped talking but it was too late.

The funeral, they both thought.

Not only did Alec not want to think about climbing onto that big-ass plane, he also didn't want to think about that, or the fact that he and his two sisters were spending their first Christmas without their mother.

"Pretty crappy way to spend Christmas, huh?" Jane nodded at the plane. Although they were complete opposites in looks and personality, Jane's ability to predict his thoughts at the exact moment they crossed his mind still boggled him.

"As opposed to what?"

Jane blew a hot-pink strand of hair out of her eyes. "I don't know. Here on the ground?"

Jane's statement made Alec's heart sink. Why couldn't they have just driven? Why couldn't they just not go at all? It wasn't like a change in zip code was going to set his sister straight.

Heidi, the twins' eight-year old sister, joined the duo. If the approaching anniversary of their mother's death bothered her, she didn't show it. Bouncing on her toes, she pressed her hands on the glass overlooking the tarmac and stared at the big plane. Her face lit up with excitement.

"Daddy says the beach is only a mile from our house," she said, dreamily. "And we're not living in an apartment anymore. We have our own house with our own front yard and backyard, and Grandma Esme's got a tree inside our living room waiting for us."

"How do you know Grandma Esme put up a tree?" Jane asked.

"Because she told me on the phone last night," Heidi whispered, glancing around to ensure their father wasn't anywhere within earshot. But she was lucky. He was still in the bathroom working through his own nervousness over flying.

Alec and Jane shared a look, and wondered how their father, Edward, would react to the sight of a Christmas tree inside his house. They'd all decided not to decorate a tree this year, string up twinkle lights, or open presents on Christmas morning. Usually the three children, along with their mother, spent the holiday binging on take-out Chinese, since she always burned the turkey, while listening to their father yell at the TV and whatever football game was playing at the time. And most definitely, no church. Football was his religion. Work was his religion. And his children?

His children didn't know what to believe.

From the corner of his eye, Alec noticed Edward exiting the restroom. Pale and shaking, the man meandered to a coffee shop and dug some change from his pocket. Alec found his opportunity.

Avoiding his siblings' eyes, he said, "Hey, I'm going to grab a magazine from the gift shop before the flight. Meet you guys back here in a few, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, but we both know you're just stalling. You'll never get on that plane."

"Just cover for me, okay?"

Nodding, Jane stared past her brother and absently tweaked a choppy strand of her multicolored hair. She was eyeing a cute boy lazily sprawled in a plastic chair nearby. He'd hold her attention long enough for Alec to bail on this disastrous trip, and Edward's equally disastrous decision to abandon the only home they'd ever known.

While no one paid him any attention, Alec ducked into the same restroom his father'd recently emerged from. He locked himself in a stall and leaned against the metal wall inside. Breathing in and out in slow breaths, he closed his eyes and avoided imagining just how angry his father would be when he found him. And he would eventually find him.

Sure enough, minutes later he heard the squeak of the restroom door, and his father's voice calling his name. Edward's scuffed, black boots stopped in front of the stall where Alec hid. Alec frowned at the black Docs. His father had worn them on and off since before he was born. His father was anything if not consistently the same.

"Alec." Edward rapped on the stall and grew quiet. Only the sound of Alec's ragged breaths broke the silence. "Talk to me, kid. What's going on?"

"I don't want to fly." Alec lightly banged the back of his head against the wall. "Why can't we drive?"

Edward was quiet a moment, then sighed. "Is this really about the plane?"

"Yes … and no, but mostly yes," Alec admitted.

His father shook the stall door until Alec unlocked it. Edward stood in the open doorway, pure concern for his son's well-being etched on his face. Dark shadows rested below his green eyes. Two-days worth of auburn-colored scruff colored his sharp jaw, the same jaw he shared with his son. Edward shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. The cuffs were tucked inside those old-ass boots, and a black Nirvana shirt popped out from underneath an unbuttoned red plaid shirt. Embarrassment clouded Alec's mind.

"Why can't you leave the past in the past?" he blurted, nodding at Edward's ridiculous attire.

Raising his eyebrows, Edward drew in a deep breath. He blew it out his nostrils, then narrowed his eyes at his oldest son.

"Why can't you, Alec?" Edward said. "Why can't you?"

Sagging against the wall, the anger faded from Alec's features. "I'm scared."

They both knew Alec wasn't only talking about the flight.

"I'm scared too, kid, but you know what's scarier than leaving?"

Alec shook his head.

"Staying," Edward replied. "Every corner I turn, I see your mother's face. I see her smiling and laughing, always laughing. I see her every time I stop for coffee. That girl … that girl loved flavored coffee. When I pass the park, I see her on the playground. She's pushing you and Jane on the swings. She's helping Heidi hang from the monkey bars."

"Dad-"

"I think Jane sees her too." Edward's voice broke. He cleared his throat. "That's why she's giving me hell."

"Dad, it's not Mom Jane sees. It's you. She sees you throwing yourself into work. She sees you distancing yourself from us. She sees you, and she wants you to see her too."

Edward opened his mouth, but he couldn't seem to find the words to say, so he said nothing.

Alec licked his bottom lip and came to a decision. "Let's make a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"I'll board the stupid plane, but you've got to do something for me, no, for us."

Edward crossed his arms over his chest and rocked back on his heels, waiting for his son to explain.

"You gotta be more … present," Alec quietly explained. "Stop letting Jane run all over you and everyone else. Be there for Heidi instead of expecting us to pick up the slack. You know, I overheard her calling Jane "Mom" the other day."

The color drained from Edward's face, but returning in a scarlet blush of shame. "Are you kidding?"

"No."

"Jesus." Edward rubbed at the area between his eyebrows, an old nervous habit of his. "Okay, okay. You've got a deal. And Alec? I'm … I"m sorry about all this, okay. I just-I forgot who I was before I met her, you know? I don't know who Edward is without an Angie by his side."

"No, I don't know." Alec licked his bottom lip. "Because I've never been anything without her."

...

Despite Alec's nervousness over flying, and an enormous amount of heart-stopping turbulence, he was the first one to fall asleep on the plane.

Picking at the chipped polish on her nails, Jane watched her brother rest.

She knew Alec blamed her for the move, but the decision to leave Washington state behind wasn't entirely her fault. Sure, she'd gotten into some trouble. Stole a few things from the mall. Snuck out of the house late at night and gotten caught after hours. But what the hell else was she supposed to do? How the hell else was she supposed to get her father's attention? When her mother was alive she didn't even have to try. None of them did. Now, she was the only one that seemed to be trying.

Brushing away a tear, Jane told herself no. No, she wouldn't take all the blame. God deserved some of it, too.

...

North Carolina.

Home of the Panthers.

The last place Alec wanted to be.

Except for thirty-nine thousand feet up in the air.

A two story, white-washed brick house came into Alec's zoned-out view. The aged exterior peaked his interest enough for him to peel his forehead off the window and straighten in his seat.

Too bad Alec had wanted to come off as indifferent, if not completely annoyed by the fact that they'd been forced to pick up and move to the very far end of the other side of the country. He could barely keep up with the facade once he stepped out of the car.

It felt cooler than he expected it to feel. Everything looked different than he expected it to look. Full, green trees lined the u-shaped driveway and scattered about the spacious grounds. Not too different from the dense placement surrounding their old, childhood home back in Washington.

It made Alec's heart yearn for the past, minus the near death experience he suffered by the hands of his sister. And then of course, there was his mother. The reason they were here was both their faults. Everything was.

"What you thinkin'?" Alec's heart fell as Jane plopped down on the back bumper, no doubt already knowing and thinking the exact same thing. Regret darkened her auburn eyes, though she'd never admit it. Not once had she said she was sorry. Not for any of it. At least, not out loud. If you asked Jane she could do no wrong, was always right and always won. He was sick of it.

"Nothing." Alec stretched his hand then grabbed his two suitcases out of the back instead of rubbing his arm like he always wanted to in her presence.

Jane watched as her brother walked away, an unsettling feeling bubbling in her throat. Swallowing it down she trailed behind him before remembering herself and catching up to drop the strap of her duffle over her brother's bad shoulder. That would show him for lying to her. Again. Only she was allowed to lie. "Drop that in the biggest room. Would ya, little bro?" She didn't wait for an answer, skipping off around the back of the house and out of sight before she stopped.

Looking out over nothing in particular, she finally let herself cry.

…

The sun had set before Jane finally creeped inside the house.

The Christmas tree Heidi had been so excited about stood lifeless by one of the million front windows. She wanted to plug it in, sit at the skirt and stare up at it like she used to when she was a kid, but the commotion coming from the kitchen intrigued her more.

Back pressed against the dining room wall she listened as her dad and Grandma Esme argued back and forth.

"Do it for the kids. Do it for Jane. God knows she needs some direction in her life." Jane rolled her eyes at her grandma's words. What did that old hag know? She hadn't seen her in years. Not since she and Alec were babies. Or so they were told.

Jane glanced into the living room and licked her chapped lips. This had to be about more than just a tree. What was a meaningless symbol of a useless holiday going to do for her direction in life?

She heard a masculine sigh of near defeat.

"Just for tonight, Edward. My son. My only son." Ooh, granny was good. "Come on, it's Christmas. The annual pageant. It was always your favorite. There will be minimal preaching. Please, please. I promise. Hand to God, if you bring them tonight I won't ask again."

Her father growled faintly. "Fine. But just so we're clear," Dad cut off any form of her celebrating with that Dad voice he'd grown accustomed to over the last year. "This is the last and only time. And you will never ever bring this up again."

"Of course. Of course." The old lady agreed. "Now, how about calling down my grandchildren so you can properly introduce me finally, huh?"

Jane took off for the stairs as quickly as she could without being caught. Bursting into the first room she came across she ran into Alec's suitcases and kicked them out of the way.

"Hey, watch it. There's breakables in there."

"You mean your toy models? Please." Jane rolled her eyes and climbed up on the bed next to her brother.

"They're not toys. They're collectibles."

Jane waved a hand for him to stop. "Whatever they are, they're child's play and we've got bigger problems. Grandma Esme's making us go to church."

Alec looked up from his phone. "All of us?"

Jane nodded. "All of us."

Glancing back in the direction of his phone Alec looked past the screen.

The last time they had all been to church was for a funeral. Her funeral. Just the thought visibly quickened Alec's breath.

"Okay, Alec. Chill. All right? It's just a building. Just a bunch of old, musty walls confining old, musty beliefs. Sh-" Jane caught herself before mentioning their mother again. She knew better. It was the one thing she didn't use to torture him. The one thing their already strained relationship would never survive. It was already being held together by a thread as it was.

Instead of talking, she put her hand on his back. When he didn't shrug her off she scooted closer to drape her whole arm over his shoulders.

"It's going to be okay," she promised and waited for his breathing to slow.

It sounded so convincing, she almost believed it herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Just Jonesn and Hoodie here. The owners of nothing more than our thoughts and each other's hearts.

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Chapter Two:

Turtle Doves

The turtle dove is also known as the mourning dove. Their song may sound sad but they hold an optimistic spirit and are a widely recognized as a symbol of love and peace.

* * *

From between the cracks in the wooden fence that separated the Newton's property from the Cullens', Bree Newton watched a girl around her own age cry.

The girl didn't seem the type, with her rainbow hair, crimped on the edges, a black feather coat, electric-blue skirt, chunky, black anklets, and ripped black stockings held up by stretchy garters. Still, the girl allowed herself a brief cry, then wiped the tears from her face, tilted her chin up, and stomped across the back patio. She shoved the glass sliding doors open so violently Bree jumped, expecting the glass to shatter under the slight girl's touch, but nothing happened. The girl left the sliding doors ajar, unconcerned over the cool late-December wind.

A strange sense of longing swelled inside Bree's chest. She wished she were more like her new neighbor. Worth standing out, vulnerable enough to allow herself an occasional cry, and confident enough to get over it and move forward.

Bree didn't hear her mother approaching from behind. Not until Bella whispered into her daughter's ear.

"Whatcha looking at?"

Hand pressed against her chest, Bree gave a soft squeal of surprise. She whirled around, glaring at her laughing mother.

"I thought I heard someone in the backyard." Bree glanced at the wooden fence separating the back lawns. "Our new neighbors finally moved in."

"That's what I heard." Bella grinned, and of course she'd heard. Nothing happened in the small, seaside town without Bella Newton knowing. "You didn't think I spent the day baking for nothing now did you?"

Steam rose from a Pyrex dish Bella held in her oven-mitt covered hands. The savory scent of her mother's chicken spaghetti casserole filled the air. Bree raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not. You spent the day baking for us, the neighbors, the church, the homeless guy who panhandles down at the Pick-and-Save-"

"Okay, okay." Bella laughed and stepped toward the gate. "Let me pass by so I can drop this dish off and get ready for the program tonight. Speaking of which, you should head upstairs and get ready. You don't want to be late for your solo."

"Uh, I don't think now's a good time to introduce yourself to the neighbors."

Bella tilted her head to the side. A pensive line creased her forehead. "Really, why?"

At the thought of mentioning the crying girl, Bree felt a sense of protective comradeship for the stranger. "Uh, just trust me, okay?"

"Of course, sweetie." The thin line smoothed away. Bella took a step back. "Of course I trust you. Tell you what, I'll just throw this in the oven and turn it on the warm setting. Then I'll drop it off after the program tonight. Does that sound good?"

Bree's shoulders sagged in relief. "Sounds great."

Once inside, Bree trotted upstairs to her bedroom while Bella tucked the casserole safely back inside the oven and turned it on warm. Bella turned to the kitchen window and leaned over the sink. She parted the frilly curtains and stood on her tiptoes, as curious as her daughter to sneak a peek of the new neighbors.

A long, sleek black car was parked in front of the house. Esme and Carlisle Cullen's car. She recognized the vehicle from church. Drumming her fingers on the sink, Bella tried to imagine how Esme felt seeing her son for the first time in years. She couldn't imagine being seperated from her children for so long. Heck, Bella worried whenever Bree attended sleepovers with friends, and when her younger children, Charles and Wren, left for overnight camping trips with their Boy and Girl Scout troops.

A crash upstairs drew her from her thoughts. Bella rushed out of the kitchen and up the stairs in just enough time to catch Charles guiltily attempting to sweep up a mess of potting soil and large shards of a ceramic pot from the floor.

"I didn't mean to, I swear." Tears pooled in seven-year old Charles' eyes. Bella felt her heart lurch. He'd been a crying, clumsy mess since the d-word.

"What happened, buddy?" Bella stooped down and held the dustpan while Charles swept the mess into the receptacle.

"Wren chased me down the hallway and I tripped." His trembling voiced borderlined on a wail.

Cringing, Bella willed away the ear-splitting sound by offering a soothing, understanding voice. "Having a sister is tough stuff, and you have two." Sighing in sympathy, she added in a soft, secretive voice, "That's why I baked you your very own batch of chocolate kiss peanut butter cookies."

Charles rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his arm. "You did?"

Nodding, Bella tried not to stare at the tear-stained garment. "Shoot yeah, kiddo. But they're just for you. Don't tell your sisters."

He grinned at their shared secret. "Can I have one now?"

"One? What? No way," Bella scoffed, topping it off with a grin. "You can have two. They're in a plastic container on the second shelf in the pantry. I hid them behind a box of cereal. You can have them now if you want, but remember." Bella wagged a finger at him. "Don't tell your sisters."

"Thanks, Mom." Grinning, Charles stood and took off. The knees of his khaki pants were stained with potting soil. Bella added make Charles change his pants to her mental list of things to do before the Christmas program.

The Christmas program! She'd almost forgotten. Rushing to finish cleaning up the mess, Bella swept up soil and ceramic and dumped it into the trash. Her next stop was Wren's room, but before she could find her daughter and give her a verbal tongue-lashing for tormenting her twin brother again, Bella paused outside her own bedroom.

Bree stood in front of her mother's dresser holding a silky pair of stockings in one hand, a pair of garters in the other.

"Bree, what are you-"

"Jeez, Mom." Bree shoved the stockings and garters into an open drawer and shoved it closed. "What's with you and sneaking up on me all the time?"

"I wasn't sneaking." Arms crossed, Bella leaned on the doorway and studied her red-faced teen. "This is my room, remember?"

"Yes, ma'am, I know. I just wanted to borrow a pair of pantyhose."

"Bree, you don't even wear pantyhose. You say they're old-fashioned, remember?"

Bree said nothing. She couldn't quite meet her mother's eyes as she passed the young girl and pulled open the drawer. Bella removed the black stockings and garters from inside the mound of nylon and lycra. Fingering the smooth material, she drew in a deep breath and sat on the edge of her bed.

"I bought these after the-the d-word," Bella confessed, smiling sadly at her daughter. "I guess I was feeling … less than attractive after your father left."

Surprised her mother was sharing something so personal, Bree joined her on the bed. "You can say it, you know. Divorce. And he didn't leave you because you're not attractive. He left because he's an insecure, middle-aged …" Bree wanted to say asshole, but she'd never cussed. At least not in front of an adult.

"Thank you, sweetie. But I don't want you talking about your father that way, okay? He loves you kids with all his heart. You know that, right?"

Bree nodded, not completely sure if she did know her father still loved her or not.

Standing from her bed, Bella walked on weak legs to her dresser where she placed the garters neatly back in their place and closed the drawer.

"Now, honey. I know you're getting older. Your body's changing and you may have questions."

"Mom …"

"No. Now, just hear me out, okay?" This was hard enough as it was. "I've been there, believe me."

"Ew."

"Hey, thirty-five's not that old. I remember what it's like to ... have a healthy curiosity." Bella eyed her closet praying Bree never thought to snoop through it one day. She'd been meaning to dispose of the offensive phallus Alice, her sister, had referred to as a toy.

Lord forgive her for she knows not what she does.

Bella had never been one for self pleasure. That kind of intimacy was saved for your spouse. But her spouse was off pleasuring someone else now.

Bella closed her eyes and prayed away those horrible thoughts. They made her sick and angry. She was sick of being sick and angry. And … frustrated.

"I just want you to know that you can talk to me. About anything," Bella added just as Charles poked his head inside her room to ask if he could watch TV since they didn't seem to be going anywhere.

Bella nearly growled. "No, now go change your pants then get downstairs and put your shoes on."

Cookie in hand, Charles hightailed it down the stairs, his mother following closely behind him to make sure he did as she said.

There was no time to stand around and feel sorry for herself. That nonsense was reserved for ten thirty to eleven every night when the kids were all fast asleep and Bella could finally slip into a hot bath and cry.

…

Edward entered the open, double doors to the church behind his parents and children as if he'd burst into flames. Chest tightening, he struggled to breathe. A ringing in his ears so loud he barely heard his mother's soft voice as she attempted to get his attention.

"Edward, dear. This here is Bella Newton, your new neighbor. She was just telling me how she baked a casserole for your arrival. She's planning on bringing it over after the service. Isn't that sweet?" Esme asked before fluttering off to greet another one of her church friends, leaving them both alone.

Edward's lips parted but no words came out until the two pretty, petite brunettes morphed into just the one. A long forgotten feeling roused inside him, awakening the butterflies he thought were no longer there. It had been some time since a woman made him feel this nervous. Then again, maybe it was just his nerves over the fact he was back in a church. The last place he wanted to be. Either way, he used to be good at this. He used to be good with people, especially women. It had been years since he had to try with one. Not that he was trying. Suddenly remembering how to interact with others, he extended a hand. "So, casserole." He played off his internal whirl of anxiety and unexpected attraction as well as he could.

Bella smiled and took his hand. "The very best."

"Is that so?"

Bella nodded, very aware the two were still holding hands. His felt nice and big in hers. Very nice and big. Bella heated with her next thought.

"Well then, that's very kind of you, Bella. Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

The ringing in Edward's ears dissipated within moments of the simple interaction and he calmed. All those self help books he received in the weeks following the funeral had been right after all. Skin to skin contact helped to comfort and heal. All he had to touch was his own skin, which half the time was crawling. And he wasn't ready to touch anyone else in such a way. But Bella's skin was soft and warm and really really helping. So much in fact, Edward almost didn't want to let go.

Against Edward's silent wishes Bella was first to break the connection. "Well, shall we find our seats?" She freed herself from his grip.

Edward instantly felt the anxiousness return to his chest. He shoved his hands into the pockets in habit and nodded. He followed closely behind, eyes on the heels of her shoes the whole time. He only looked up when she stopped to slide into one of the pews between two rowdy kids and one well-behaved teenager. Assuming these were her children he slid into the pew directly behind them.

He was joined by his own family once the lights dimmed and the microphone screeched causing all the church goers to simultaneously cover their ears and groan in protest.

As the preacher started to preach, the teen girl sitting with Bella got up to leave and a couple of bleached blondes—a man and a woman—stopped at the pew to ask if they could sit in her place.

"That's Bella's ex-husband," Edward's Mom whispered in his ear. She always had been one for back porch gossip. "He left Bella for that floozy." Her eyes shot daggers into the back of the couples heads as they scooted into the pew in front of us.

"It's a wonder they didn't blow up this whole holy house of God." She scoffed. Edward barely kept from rolling his eyes. "My eyes are burnin' just lookin' at them." Her natural born twang rose just a hair before going silent all together. Edward had never been more thankful for the start of a long sermon. Anything to keep his mother quiet.

Once the preacher was in full swing Edward zoned out, missing the majority of the lesson and pageant.

Instead he seethed. Seethed over the fact he had to be there. Seethed over Bella's ex husband being there. Seethed over the floozy. Seethed over the fact that they were quite obviously making Bella uncomfortable. You could see it in her shoulders. How they stiffened and she frequently shifted. He seethed that this man had thrown his wife away when Edward had lost his.

As the lights went up so did the angry veil over Edward's mind and he just heard the tail end of the conversation Bella, her ex and their remaining two kids were having.

"I was hoping Jessica and I could swing by tonight. Just long enough to see what Santa brought."

"He didn't bring anything cause he doesn't exist." The young girl said, upsetting the boy.

"He doesn't?"

Bella seemed to be at a loss for words, a strangled noise escaping from her throat before she turned to glare at her daughter.

The girl frowned in return, sliding further down in her seat.

Ignoring the situation completely Bella's ex pushed the sore subject. "So? Is it okay for us to come over?"

The veil of seethe dropped over Edward again and he leaned forward sure to block the morons head when he loudly asked, "You're still coming over for dinner tonight, aren't you, Bella?"

Bella's brown eyes widened. Edward smiled and waited for her to catch up.

"Oh, yes. Of course. I'm so sorry, Mike but Edward just got into town, and—"

Edward turned to Mike. "And Bella here was so kind to welcome me with a nice warm dinner …" He glanced back at Bella. "And the honor of her company."

…

Edward couldn't remember the last time his home had been filled with so much laughter and all around general noise. He missed the days he didn't have the time to sit and dwell on his thoughts. They had been nothing short of depressing these days. It felt good to forget how heartbroken he was, even if for a night.

Falling against the back of his chair Edward clasped his hands over his full belly. He hadn't had that good of a home cooked meal since the one Bella brought them. His late wife was an amazing woman but not a cook. As long as he'd known her, he, hamburger helper, and the microwave had been her best friends.

But now, Bella. She was born to be in the kitchen.

He realized how sexist that sounded as soon as the thought crossed his mind. He was sure Bella was much more than a cook. He was sure she was a lot of things; a good cook, kind and beautiful, just to name a few.

As soon as the bored teenagers took off upstairs the three younger children hopped out of their seats and started running around the dining room table, yelling "Tag! You're it!" in between giggles at the top of their lungs. Edward and Bella watched them then shared an amused smile, breaking eye contact before it got uncomfortable.

Edward snuck a few more glances while Bella watched the children. Her eyes danced as they ran, a fixed smile etched into her rosy cheeks. Her hair was similar to Angie's. The same shade of brown but longer. Angie's had always been soft and smelled really good. He supposed all women's hair was soft and smelled good. Bella's most definitely looked it.

"Hey, Mr. Edward," Little Charles startled Edward and he immediately felt chastised as if the kid could read his thoughts about his mother. "Would it be okay if we turned on your tree?"

Edward pictured himself growing green and furry like the Grinch. He didn't want the lights on. Hell, he didn't even want the tree. All it did was remind him that Angie wasn't here to decorate it with him and the kids like they had every other year. Christmas had always been her favorite. The kids too. He didn't want to rob them of that anymore than he wanted to tell this boy no.

"That's fine, buddy. Just flip that light switch there on the wall."

Charles ran over and did as Edward said, lighting up the living room and connecting dining room with a golden glow. The kids were captivated, glancing up at the ornaments and picking out the ones that were their favorites.

"Turtle doves!" Charles cried, pointing up at the two birds cuddling against one another. "Hey, Mr. Edward, did you know that the turtle dove is a member of the bird family Col-um-bid-ae, the same as the pigeons?"

Edward blew out a surprised laugh. "I did not know that."

Bella leaned over to whisper, sure to keep a few inches from Edward's ear. "He's been studying birds lately. Last year it was dinosaurs. I can't tell you the number of times I had to sit through one of his very detailed commentaries of Jurassic Park."

Edward smiled through his envy. Heidi was Charles age but girls—at least in his experience—were different. He remembered Alec being even more reserved than both of his girls combined. All he'd ever wanted was a good relationship with his children, for them to want to include him in their interests, the way Charles was so freely doing now.

"They're also lesser known as the rain dove or mourning dove. Mourning like the emotion, not the time of day, right Mom?"

Bella nodded at her smart son with pride.

Edward brows rose. This was starting to hit a little too close to home for him.

"They got that name because when they sing it sounds sad. But they shouldn't make you sad."

Edward cleared his throat. "No? Why's that?"

"Because even though they sound sad they have an opto … optomisic. "

"Optimistic." Bella assisted.

"Yeah, they have an opti-mistic spirit. They send a message of life, hope, re—" Charles looked at his mother for help.

"Renewal."

"Yep. Renewal. Renewal and … and peace!"

Hurried feet came clattering down the stairs just as Charles finished his speech.

Edward sat in a daze as the evening came to an abrupt end and Bree ran out the door crying into the cold night.


	3. Chapter 3

Jonesn and Hoodie here. The owners of nothing more than our thoughts and prescription meds.

* * *

Chapter Three:

French Hens

Faith, hope, love.

* * *

Bree stared at the digital clock glowing on her nightstand. The numbers blinked from 11:59 to 12:00. Christmas was officially over.

Sighing, she sat up and flipped on the bedside lamp. The room lit up in the soft white glow of the light. Bree blinked against the brightness of the room. Several years back, Bella had let her pick out the colors for her bedroom. Bree was eleven at the time, and had picked out colors of the Caribbean: bright pinks and turquoise and sooo much sea green. Her bedroom was close to a place she'd dreamed of visiting but still hadn't been.

Bree wished she were there now. Thousands of miles away from Jane Cullen, a girl Bree only a few hours before wished she could somehow be. The kind of girl who didn't mince words, dressed and talked however she liked.

But at what price?

Apparently at the expense of others. From the time Bree made eye contact with the girl from where she stood singing praise from the stage in their family church, Jane had made it her personal mission to torment the girl. Unbeknownst to their parents, Jane had stared at Bree in open contempt, rolling her eyes and wincing at every high note Bree hit during her solo. She'd glared at her from across the dining room table during the meal Bella had prepared for the evening, then slammed her bedroom door in Bree's face after Edward suggested Jane show Bree around their new home.

Jane's only saving grace was her brother, Alec, the epitome of a teenage heartthrob with a quiet, thoughtful disposition, soulful eyes and dark, unkempt hair. He'd invited Bree into his bedroom and she'd followed like a lamb to the slaughter, sweaty palms and all. She'd never been inside a boy's bedroom before, other than her own brother. And he totally didn't count.

"Jane's a bitch," he'd said with a wave of his hand, and Bree had winced at the time. She'd never heard anyone talk about their sibling in such a manner. She'd joined him on the floor, legs folded underneath. Her knee-length velvet dress had ridden up, revealing the lacey edge of her garters. Bree hadn't noticed. But Jane, who'd showed up in the doorway of Alec's bedroom out of sheer curiosity, well, she'd noticed.

"Oh, my God," Jane had said, laughing. The couple glanced up from the floor where they'd been sitting, chatting. Jane pointed at Bree's legs. "Not as innocent as you seem, are ya? Little church mouse."

Bree had glanced down at her stocking-clad legs and felt her face turn as red as her velvet dress. She'd started to stand, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, but it was Alec who'd stopped her. He'd wrapped his long fingers around her wrist before she could bolt.

"Don't let her get to you," Alec said. "It's her life mission to make everyone around her as unhappy as she is." Bree fell in love with him at that moment.

Unfazed by Alec's comment, Jane maintained eye contact with Bree, and said, "Aw, whatcha gonna do? Cry?" She pushed off the door frame with a smirk and disappeared down the hallway.

Alec had continued to try and console Bree, but she hadn't been able to focus on anything he'd said. She felt strangely numb, unable to relate to the amalgamation of emotions moshing around inside her head. Without a parting word of goodbye, she'd finally stood and fled Alec's room. Choking back a sob, she avoided her mother as she called out behind her and fled home to lock herself in her bedroom where she remained the rest of the night.

Bree fished around underneath her pillow for her cellphone and clicked on the Twitter app. After a minimal amount of time and a fair amount of teenage snooping skills, Bree found not only Jane's Twitter handle, but also her IG account. Leaning against the headboard of her bed, Bree spent the next hour getting to know everything she could about the sour-faced girl next door, a girl she still desperately wanted to be accepted by.

"Someone's obsessed with France," Bree mumbled aloud.

There were a ton of photographs of French landmarks, cuisine, and fashion. Bree's eyes grew hazy as she remembered the one time she'd visited Paris, France, so long ago she could barely remember anything about the trip, other than the way her parents fought behind the closed bathroom door inside their hotel room. Well, that and the Julia Child-inspired cooking class her mother insisted they take together. A sort of bonding experience between a mother and her only child, the kind they had before her younger siblings had been born.

Readjusting her vision, Bree pulled up a few Julia Child recipes.

"Coq au Vin." Bree hoped she didn't butcher the bird as much as she butchered her words.

Bree bookmarked the page and shut off the phone. After a handful of hours and endless flip-flopping in bed, Bree drifted into a restless sleep.

...

"You know technically this recipe calls for a rooster, not a hen."

Bree resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her mother's all-knowing tone of voice. A handful of trips to Paris and Mom thought herself a genius on everything French. Bree removed a dish of chicken and chopped vegetables from the fridge. She'd left the meat and veggies inside to marinate all day, and it was time to officially prepare the dish.

"What made you want to make coq au vin?" Bella didn't butcher the words at all. Instead, they rolled off her tongue in a smooth, romantic twist of an accent. Bella's grandmother Marie immigrated from France to the states at the tender age of ten, and Bella had picked up a bit of the language and accent when it fancied her.

"I thought I'd take up cooking as a new hobby," Bree sort-of lied. First the garters, now the lying. She was quickly turning into a menace to society.

"Does this have something to do with what happened last night?"

"No. Why would it?"

"I don't know. I don't speak teenager, sweetie. You ran out of Edward's house crying, and woke up wanting to roast a hen. How am I supposed to keep up with you?"

Bree ignored the question, struggling to pop the cork on a bottle of wine.

"What happened while you were up there anyway? Did that boy do something to you?"

"Oh my G-osh, Mom. No. Alec didn't do anything."

"So, it was Jane then?"

Bree didn't answer and Bella didn't press the issue. Instead, she dropped it and the two put their energy into something where it would be of use—calling and then creating an elaborate meal for the family next door.

...

Time flew as they prepped and cooked. Smiles and laughter filled the kitchen with the growing smell of marinated chicken. It was just like old times until there was a knock on the door and Bree went pale.

"That'll be them." Bella stated the obvious. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? I can always tell them none of us are feeling well. We could change into our sweats, turn on the Hallmark channel and eat this all up ourselves." Bella hoped Bree would take her up on her offer. She didn't necessarily feel like sitting through a dinner with a man whose kid made her kid cry. She didn't care how nice or handsome or easy to talk to he was.

Bree shook her head. "No. I have to do this. I'll set the table. You let them in."

Bella did as she was told, gracing Edward and his clan of misfits—sweet, little Heidi and possibly Alec excluded—with a smile as she welcomed them into her home.

"I'm so glad you all could make it."

"Us too. It smells great," Edward complimented, his mouth starting to water.

Bella thanked him as she lead the way to the dining room where Bree had just finished setting the table and filling everyone's glass with sweet tea.

"Have a seat anywhere." Bella extended her arm toward the table. Everyone filed past her followed by Edward who smelled of a subtle yet spicy aftershave. The scent made the neurons in Bella's brain fire, awakening certain parts of her she hadn't thought about in months, possibly years. Maybe even before she found out about Mike's betrayal.

Bella wasn't sure if it was worse to sit right next to Edward or across the table as she was. It gave her a full on visual of him in his blue sweater which really brought out the color of his eyes.

As if he could feel someone staring at him Edward glanced up almost catching Bella in the act.

"Could everyone please join hands. Bree, would you like to say grace?" Bella asked.

Bree nodded and cleared her throat, joining hands with her mother and Alec. It was her strategic plan to not only try and win over Jane but to sit by Alec and hold his hand. It was warm and soft and had a funny effect on her belly.

Bella listened intently to her daughter as she thanked the Lord for the food and the time their family spent in France. Once Bree concluded Bella glanced up where she told herself she wasn't going to and found Edward looking at her.

He held her stare for a moment before Jane backhanded him in the chest to pay attention and pass the rolls.

The dinner only got more awkward from there. Jane barely touched her plate complaining that the chicken had the texture of elastic, though the cream was soft as silk.

"No one eats silk. They either sleep on it or wear it." Jane looked pointedly at Bree.

Bella's chewing slowed, her eyes shrinking to slits. What was that supposed to mean? "Is there something going on here I should know about?" Bella wondered aloud.

Bree answered a little too quickly, glancing at Jane. "No."

"Jane, is there something you need to tell us?" Edward added. "Maybe why Bree seemed so upset when she left last night?"

Jane smiled sweetly. "No, everything's fine."

Bree bowed her head. Bella resisted the urge to shove Jane's into her plate. But then she remembered what all the girl had been through in the past year alone. Bella's heart broke for them all all over again. Just as she had wanted to take away Bree's heartache, she wanted to take away theirs. However, she knew she couldn't. Not completely.

With faith she'd let these girls work out their problems, hope that they would and show them both love the best she could.

…

The night seemed even nippier after the dinner Bree had caused herself to suffer through. She wasn't any closer to calling Jane her friend. It was eating at her so much she couldn't stand it and kicked the trunk of a tree dividing the neighbor's property from hers.

Hearing a faint zip of a lighter next door she peeked through the branches to find Jane sitting on the picnic table in the backyard, a cigarette hanging from between her ruby red lips.

"I can see you, ya know?" Jane said around the glowing cancer stick.

Sighing, Bree stepped out into plain sight. The two stared at each other until Jane removed the cigarette from her mouth and held it out. "You want a drag?"

Bree stood in silence.

"I promise I don't have cooties."

Checking her surroundings, Bree made sure her mother and siblings were nowhere in sight before walking over and sitting beside Jane. She stared at the cigarette before hesitantly taking it from Jane and pinching it between her thumb and forefinger.

"Just stick the end that's not on fire in your mouth, close your lips and suck in."

Unsure, Bree glanced at Jane then back at the cigarette before placing it between her lips and sucking in deep.

"Mrs. Newton! Mrs. Newton!" Jane yelled out, laughing as Bree started coughing and hacking, searching all over the place for her mother.

"Wh-, what are you do-ing?" Bree asked between coughs.

Jane cackled, smacking her back. "Calm down. She didn't hear me. You're fine."

Bree wanted to yell because nothing about this was fine. But that wouldn't have gotten her anything except for maybe more contempt from the girl she desperately wanted to make her friend. Besides, Jane was right. If her mother had heard she would have been out there by now, shoe and coatless to boot.

"Ugh. Why would anyone start doing this? There's nothing nice about it."

Jane chortled. "Oh, yes there is. Especially once you get used to it. You'll see if you stick with it. But you probably shouldn't. It's a terrible habit to have." Jane took the cigarette back and took a puff. "And incredibly inconvenient when you're under eighteen. If I didn't have this," Jane whipped out a very real looking fake ID. "I'd have to find someone to get them for me. Probably have to pay them and there goes the rest of my allowance." Jane shrugged, offering the cigarette back to Bree.

She declined.

"Good girl." Jane play mocked.

Bree rolled her eyes but smiled, wanting to ask Jane why she was the way she was when Alec wasn't, but then Jane started talking about France. When Jane said how it was cool that Bree had been there, she decided she wasn't about to hinder their progress.

"What else do you use that ID for?" Bree nodded at the flimsy piece of plastic Jane was flipping over and over between her fingers.

"Buying beer, sneaking into clubs. Ya know. Regular stuff." Jane shrugged. "Are there any good clubs around here?"

Bree's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to remember the names of clubs, any clubs, around town, but aside from school-oriented clubs-Beta Club, Chess Club—she was coming up blank.

Jane snorted. "Who am I kidding? What does someone like you know about clubbing?" She snuffed out her cigarette only to light another one. "Now, my friend Kerra, back in Seattle … she knew all about clubbing." Jane's voice dropped and thickened.

"Guess you miss her, huh? Your friend …"

Jane sighed, releasing a plume of smoke with an exhausted breath. "Yeah, but what's it matter? Like my mom always said, no use in sitting around worrying about things you can't change."

"Is your mom back in Seattle?" Bree's voice was cautionary, quiet. Sensing the quiet melancholy in Jane's voice upon mentioning her mother, she wanted to tread carefully on the subject.

"Yeah, you could say that." A sad smile pinched Jane's face. "She's got a permanent residence in the old family plot."

Bree's cheeks reddened, and she immediately regretted bringing up the subject. "Oh, I'm sorry."

That mask of indifference returned to Jane's face. "Why? You didn't know her. And you certainly didn't kill her." Bree opened her mouth to speak, but Jane plowed on. "I think my dad likes your mom, you know? And it's kinda weird because my dad's nothing like your mom."

"What do you mean?" Bree sat on the picnic table bench and looked up at Jane who was sitting cross-legged on the table.

"Praying and shit over dinner." Jane rolled her eyes. "That's so not my family, but he did it! He closed his eyes and went with it. What a hypocrite."

Hearing the words "praying" and "shit" used in the same sentence made Bree shudder, but she chose to ignore that and focus on the obvious. "Maybe he's lonely. As lonely as my mom. I think, I mean, I can't be sure, but I think when you're an adult you're willing to overlook people's differences when you're lonely, you know?"

"Is that why you're so quick to overlook mine?" Jane asked.

Bree pondered the question in silence as both girls stared into the night sky watching Jane's smoke rings disappear into the chilly air.

* * *

See you next Monday!


	4. Chapter 4

Jonesn and Hoodie here. We own nothing but our thoughts and a subscription to Netflix.

* * *

Chapter Four:

Calling Birds

* * *

The male common blackbird defends its breeding territory, chasing away other males or utilising a "bow and run" threat display. This consists of a short run, the head first being raised and then bowed with the tail dipped simultaneously. If a fight between male blackbirds does occur, it is usually short and the intruder is soon chased away.

* * *

Two nights. She'd cooked for the new neighbor for the past two nights. That's more than Bella had cooked for any one man since Mike left her for his secretary, Jessica.

Two nights too many, in Mike's opinion.

Mike sat in his overpriced luxury car parked across the street from the house he once called home. The car sat idle. Mike was worried he'd be spotted if he so much as turned the engine. All the lights were still aglow inside Bella's house, and it was already past ten at night! Two hours past his youngest children's bedtimes.

What was Bella thinking?

He blew into his cupped hands, praying for some warmth in the wintery night, but he knew in his heart God ignored his prayers. God only heard the prayers of the righteous, and Mike was far from righteous unless self-righteousness counted.

Another hour passed before the lights inside the house grew dim. Mike imagined Edward and his children took the backyard route from Bella's house to his. Still, his inability to see the new neighbor leave Bella's house made him blind with rage. Of course Bella was too holier-than-thou to invite a man over for the night. Any man, especially a virtual stranger. Still, that thought did little to alleviate Mike's anger.

Bella's romantic interests shouldn't be any of mike's concern, not after the way he ended their marriage. But he'd never had to worry about another man encroaching on his family before now, and if he was being honest with himself, it hurt. Seeing a man look at Bella the same way he once looked at her tore him up inside. That one look sealed the finality if their relationship ten times more than those divorce papers ever did.

Mike didn't like it.

He thought he was happy with his new life. He had a hot, younger woman with a tight little body, a demure, sweet ex-wife who not only was a wonderful mother, but also avoided quarreling and conflict at any cost. Plus, Mike was finally raking in the dough as the top realtor in the region. Everything was perfect.

And then the new neighbor moved in.

Cranking the car and pulling out of the subdivision, Mike made himself a vow. He'd rid Edward Cullen from his ex's life, one way or another. And then things could go back to normal, as normal as normal could be in that sleepy little town.

...

Bella tapped on her calendar app on her cell and counted down the days until school began again.

Sighing, she pocketed the device and pushed her buggy into the local dollar store. Various items were on sale after Christmas, and Bella made it her yearly mission to stock up in as much Christmas stuff as she could for the next year. The children in the small class she taught at the local private school loved decorating the walls after Thanksgiving.

Sometimes Bella was lucky enough to score some non-holiday related supplies. And Lord knows the schools, privately-funded or not, always needed supplies.

She was elbow-deep in tinsel when a familiar scent wafted around her. Only a handful of days had passed, but she'd memorized his smell from day one. It was sandalwood, citrus and what could only be described as man. A warm fluttering filled her belly, only worsening when she met his eyes and saw his smile.

"Nights filled with warm meals, running into beautiful women at the store. I'm starting to like small town life."

The warmth carried to her cheeks, and she could only hope she wasn't blushing like a schoolgirl. She wanted to say something witty, something flirty, but she'd never had to play that game before. Mike had been a part of her life since childhood. They'd been friends in primary and middle school, and eased into courtship during high school. They'd been a couple so long she couldn't remember ever just being Bella. Being herself. How could she be fun and flirty when she didn't even know who she was without him?

Time lapsed as she internally panicked at the thought of twisting a lock of hair around one finger, or batting her eyes, but Edward picked up right where he left off and continued the conversation.

"I like small town life so much in fact that I thought maybe I should see more of this town. There's a new theater out by the mall, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. And it's fancy too. Leather recliners, heated seats, the whole nine yards." Bella smiled and wondered if he considered that fancy. She'd heard of some movie theaters in the bigger cities serving full meals and alcohol.

Edward whistled in astonishment. "Yeah, that's fancy considering this town didn't even have a movie theater back when I lived here."

"So you're from here originally?" Their meals were usually overpowered by conversations between the children. They'd had no time to interact alone. And it wasn't until that very thought crossed her mind that Bella realized how much she missed adult conversation.

"Born and raised. Got the hell out as soon as I was old enough." Edward smiled, but it no longer reached his eyes. "Never thought I'd come back, but things change."

"And people. People change," Bella murmured. She thought of Mike and how he'd changed for the worst.

"Yeah, I think we constantly change."

Bella studied Edward's face as his expression grew thoughtful, fixed on the tinsel she held in her hands. They were two very different people, but like she said: people change. Wasn't Bella herself constantly changing?

She'd never imagined herself spending time with a man like Edward. Sure, he seemed like a decent man, and clearly easy on the eyes, but they had conflicting values. Bella valued the church and God. Edward made it clear that he only tolerated religion.

Mike once held the same values as she had, but what good did that do in the long run? He'd only changed for the worst.

Church and religion wasn't much without morals, and Mike was living proof that sitting on a pew Sunday mornings doesn't necessarily make you a good person.

"Maybe you should take Jane to the movies. Seems like she could use some one on one time with you," Bella blurted before she could change her mind. No matter how understanding she tried to be that girl continued to miff her.

Edward raised his eyebrows, surprised by her sudden outburst. Then he felt himself grinning.

"What's so funny?" Bella asked.

Edward shook his head. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You're probably right. And if I wasn't so certain she'd roll her eyes and tell me how she'd rather die than be seen with her father in public, I probably would. But seeing as that's exactly what she'll say, I'm not going to. Jane is Jane. She'll grow out of it." He hoped.

Bella could see as much with just a look. He had no idea what he was doing. No idea how to interact with his daughter. She felt immensely sorry for him. For both of them.

"Besides I'd rather ask you." This time it was Edward's turn to surprise Bella.

Her whole body heated. She nearly melted into the floor. But she held on tight to the cart handle to keep her solid and standing.

"Bella, would you like to accompany me to the movies Friday night?"

Bella was at a loss for words, wondering if he was being for real or if it was a ploy to get her to shut up. Either way, she wasn't really sure if she cared. A night away from the kids sounded nice. She handed been to the movies in ages.

"That sounds very nice, Edward. Thank you." On the precipice of turning him down, Bella looked into his eyes, falling backward down a slippery slope. "I'd love to."

...

It was a night like all the rest, cold, dark way too early and there stood Edward on Bella's front porch, knocking on the door. They had spent every evening together leading up to their first date, worrying over their children's well-being and wondering how they never met growing up.

As it was, Edward went to the private school where Bella now taught while Bella went to public. Edward's mother, Esme liked to church hop every few years until she found the right one, but by that time Edward was grown and had moved far far away. By tragic fate Edward was back, torn by his feelings of happiness underlined by grief. He still missed his wife but only when he wasn't with Bella or thinking about Bella or dreaming about her. She surrounded him in body, mind and spirit. A spirit he had lost when he lost Angie.

Before Edward's knuckles hit the cherry wood on Bella's front door again she opened it with a smile. He smiled himself, letting out a low whistle as his eyes ran over her royal blue dress.

Edward felt underdressed in his jeans and navy blue button up. He should have worn the slacks like Heidi had told him to but it was just a movie between good friends that felt like they'd known each other forever. At least from Edward's standpoint. Even though he was lying to himself. Either way, Bella looked perfect.

"You look beautiful," Edward said, causing

Bella's pale skin to warm pink.

"Thank you. You too."

"You ready to go?"

Bella nodded and Edward offered his arm for her to take so he could lead her to the car and open the door for her.

Edward eyed her hand on her bare knee, a strong urge to take it clouding his thoughts and ears so that he almost didn't hear her.

"Did you give anymore thought to the books I recommended?"

Edward nodded. "Mm hm, I downloaded them this afternoon. Heidi is having a hoot reading "Hoot."

"And you?" Bella asked, more curious about her date. She knew Heidi would love the book but she wanted to know Edward's thoughts about his. She wanted to know how deeply he ran and if she could drown herself in his waters. She had always been ready to swim but Mike had been as shallow as a puddle.

"I've, uh actually read them."

"Already?" Bella was amazed. He must be one of those speed readers.

"Yeah, well I read them before. Before we met."

"Oh." Bella felt sort of foolish. Why hadn't he told her?

"We uh, we actually published them."

Bella's brain buzzed. Published? "We?"

"Yeah," Edward chortled. "Angie and I. We uh, actually co owned a publishing house. When she …" He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Bella nodded in understanding, placing her hand on top of his and curling her fingers under it like he wanted to do with hers earlier. It felt nice and comforted both of them.

"I sold our share after … I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't be there. Couldn't think. Couldn't read."

Bella squeezed his hand. Turning his palm upward he tangled his fingers with hers and squeezed back, offering her a small smile to let her know he was okay. If she wasn't there he wasn't sure if he would be.

It was almost impossible for him to let go of her hand just to shift into gear but he did only to grab it back up as they took off for the movie theater.

Edward opened the door for her and their hands met again and again after they paid for their snacks and found their seats.

Neither had any idea what they were watching. All they knew is they were together and touching. And that was enough, for awhile.

The longer the movie went on the more Edward missed talking with Bella. He hoped he hadn't turned her off to recommending books she enjoyed to him. He wanted to discuss them with her, their meanings and morals and everything in between. He wanted to know the inner workings of her mind better than he knew his own. She was beyond interesting. Beyond captivating. Beyond that idiot that left her. How shallow could he have been?

If he were going by his hair, that girl and the car he drove, incredibly. Edward had seen it idling outside Bella's house just before they headed out the back the other night.

Perhaps he had come to his senses and came to sniff around. Perhaps it was because of Edward. He knew how men thought. He was one, after all. A jealous one at that. They all were. At least when it counted. They just didn't always show it like women did.

The credits rolled. Bella and Edward stayed put, discussing what they could remember of the movie they had sat through until the lights came up and the ushers started cleaning the rows of seats in front of them.

They held onto to each other's hands until they reached the bathroom. Edward considered kissing the back of Bella's hand before letting go but thought better of it last minute and just let go with a plan to meet up where they left each other after.

Edward was alone with his urinal until the door squeaked open and someone stepped inside, sidling up right to the one next to him.

The two stood there pissing, Edward feeling more uneasy the longer this went on.

"You enjoying my wife?" A familiar masculine voice asked. Edward thought he'd heard the man wrong only to look up and find Mike Newton glaring at him.

No. He'd heard him right.

"Ex wife." Edward reminded him, shaking himself dry before tucking himself in and zipping up his pants. He glanced back over at Mike. "And yes I am," he assured him with the confidence of a man who'd won.

Edward stepped away. Mike fumed in the mirror behind him while Edward washed his hands. Shaking them dry, Edward smirked, setting Mike off. He charged, tackling Edward from behind and knocking him into the counter in front of him.

Infuriated, Edward pushed back into Mike, knocking him off his back and into the edge of a stall. Wrists balled into fists, he turned, waiting as Mike steadied himself enough to charge Edward again, this time hitting him in the waist and ramming the back of his legs into the hard marble. The men scrappled uselessly, Edward not using nearly half his strength to keep Mike at bay. Seeing a clearing Mike reared back, sending his fist flying right into Edward's shoulder, too small in stature to even reach his opponent's face. While he may have been small his knuckles still hurt and Edward had had enough. Grabbing Mike's coat, Edward walked him back into the same stall he knocked him into before.

"Enough!" he barked. It echoed through the bathroom, boxing Mike's ears and he stilled for a moment before shaking himself free. Edward let him go mindful of Mike's presence until he heard the hinges of the door closing behind him.

Catching his breath, Edward straightened his jacket then walked out into the lobby where Bella was waiting.

She smiled up at him in complete oblivion, forcing Edward to swallow his anger and offer her his hand. He smiled back as if nothing had happened.

* * *

You think Edward will be chased away? Tune in next Monday to find out!


	5. Chapter 5

Jonesn and Hood didn't even read this over before posting.

* * *

Chapter Five:

Golden Rings

The wedding band

* * *

Guilt and anger ate away at Edward in the hours after he dropped Bella at home. He had acted foolishly. Stepped right into the middle of someone else's drama. He already had enough of his own in dealing with Jane. He was a grown man for God sakes. I widower with young, impressionable kids. Angie would be so disappointed in him if she knew how their family was falling apart, let alone how he was acting. And over another woman.

Through no fault of her own, Edward felt a twinge of resentment toward Bella. She didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve her situation or contempt for being in it. But that's what Edward was feeling. Contempt. Contempt for Bella existing and contempt for wanting her. Drama and all.

Where Jane, Alec and Bree had bonded, Edward started chipping away first by making Bree feel unwelcome in his home when he found her in Alec's room the next morning. He chastised his son in front of his guest as if he'd caught them doing something wrong. What did he think would have happened with an open door and Jane sprawled out on the bed while Alec and Bree sat, fully clothed, talking on the floor?

He chastised himself later in the shower. His relationship with his son had become strained at best. He was doing his damndest to try and destroy it completely.

He made a mental note to apologize as he dried off, slipped on his wedding ring then took a long look in the mirror noticing, not for the first time, the dark circles under his eyes. They were back and darker than ever.

War waged inside Edward the rest of the day. He couldn't shake his bad mood. Couldn't stand how he longed to see Bella, how he wanted to talk to her about how he felt. He was sure she would be understanding and supportive and help him over the hump of this. But what then? He'd be back in the drama, losing himself in a woman who wasn't his wife.

It was a continuous, viscous cycle. One that Bella wasn't aware she was tangled up in when she came over that afternoon, bearing gifts a plenty.

"I was up late baking, thinking …" wistful and unaware, she handed Edward three containers full of muffins and a pile of old books.

He gave her a tight smile and headed down the hallway, leaving the door open so she could let herself in.

It left Bella feeling uneasy but she stepped inside and followed him anyway.

"Everything okay?" She asked once she caught up to him in the kitchen.

Popping open one of the containers, Edward bit into a blueberry muffin. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" He mumbled a lie right to her face and Bella knew it.

They stood in silence as he ate the rest of the muffin. Bella felt as if she were standing in the presence of a stranger as he wiped his mouth and hands clean then proceeded to flip through the books she brought.

"I wasn't sure if you read any of those yet."

He didn't respond.

"They're some of my favorites. I thought maybe we could discuss them some time. I'd love to know what you think."

"You mean like a book club?"

"Well … I—"

"Isn't that more for women?" He interrupted, knowing full well a comment like that would put any woman off.

Bella was speechless but then she thought she saw a glint of regret in his eyes.

"Ok, I see what's going on here."

"Oh, yeah? What's going on here?"

"This thing you're trying to do."

"What am I trying to do?" Edward played dumb. The problem was he wasn't dumb. Not by a long shot. Neither was Bella.

"You're trying to push me away. You feel guilty for spending time with me. A woman that's not your wi—. Who's not Angie."

"No." Edward shook his head.

"No?"

"No. She's got nothing to do with this."

"Oh, no? Then what's that?" Bella pointed to his hand.

Edward looked down at the wedding band on his ring finger.

"That hasn't been there. Why put it on today?" The day after their first official date.

Edward didn't know what to say. He had expected Bella to take a hint and leave, not call him out on his behavior. How else could he scare her off but be totally and completely honest with her now?

"I thought it was time to take it off but it I don't think it was. It feels wrong."

"You mean us? This?" Bella gestured between the two. "We feel wrong?"

Edward wanted to deny it but couldn't. He wasn't sure if it was them or him or just Mike. But something felt wrong. No, everything did.

Looking down, Bella nodded her head. "Okay, yeah. I get it."

"Do you? Do you really?"

"Yes. I think so."

Edward could feel the anger rising inside of him. Everyone thought they understood. Thought they knew what he was going through. But they didn't know anything. They didn't know shit.

"I've lost someone I loved, too."

"Angie wasn't my ex. She was taken from me."

"And Mike chose to leave."

Bella's words struck Edward a way no one else's had. It made him think instead of react. Which would be worse? Being left by death or by choice.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not."

"No, it's not but it's nothing I can't handle."

Edward regarded her thinking she was stronger than she looked.

"I know what you mean when you say it feels wrong. I feel it, too. I feel it everyday. When I wake up. When I think about my life. I feel it when I look at my kids. This wasn't what I pictured for me or for them. It wasn't how it was supposed to turn out. But it did. And maybe this is how it's supposed to be. Maybe it's all part of a bigger plan and it's not wrong. Maybe we're just not ready for it to be right."

The back of Edward's throat burned. A raw pain ripped through him and shot out his eyes.

"You mean God's plan? Are you telling me that God's plan was to kill my wife? That my kids have no mother because your God willed it so? No. Believe what bullshit you want, but no. Not in this house. No God of mine would do that. In no world could my wife's death be right." Edward had found his opening to chase her away and he took it.

Bella's blood ran cold but burned her like fire. "No. No, of course not. Edward, that's not what I was saying. I—" Bella struggled for words but couldn't find any that could possibly fix the situation. What gave her comfort clearly caused him strife. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was wrong. Maybe it was better if she just shut up or better yet, never came up to him and opened her mouth at all.

"Look, you should go. I think I need to be alone."

Alone as one could be, constantly accompanied by pain. He felt his growing as Bella walked away from him and out the front door.

...

Alec, Jane, and Bree leaned over the banister, eavesdropping on the conversation below. Once the door clicked shut and Edward's exhausted sigh could be heard did they disappear back into Alec's room. The three teens sat in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts until Jane spoke first.

"We've gotta do something to fix this," she said, surprising the others. Bree and Alec exchanged conflicted expressions. Jane threw up her hands in surrender. "Yeah, I know what you're both thinking. Why does Jane care? Well, guess what assholes, I do care. Dad's had no time to be on my case since he started spending all his free time with Bella." And screw them both for thinking she didn't want the best for her dad.

Rolling her eyes, she climbed off the bed and stomped to a window overlooking the back lawn. She crossed her arms and stared at the house next door. Bella's silhouette could be seen shuffling around the living room. Jane wondered what she was up to, then internally scolded herself for caring. So many conflicting emotions brewed inside her. Being a teenager sucked sometimes.

"O-Kay." Alec shook his head, and glanced between his sister's retreated form and Bree's grim face. "Jane's decided to momentarily abandon the dark side, albeit for selfish reasons. What do you guys suggest we do?"

The three sat in thoughtful silence until Bree spoke. "We could send Mom a bouquet of flowers. Make her believe it's from your dad."

Jane turned on her heel and let her arms go slack by her sides. She chuckled darkly. "That's cute. You get that off a Hallmark movie?"

Bree narrowed her eyes. "You got a better idea?"

"Actually, I do. I think we should involve the kids."

"The kids?" Alec wondered aloud.

"Yeah, those precious little siblings of ours. Who can resist those sweet, chubby, cherub faces?"

"So what do you have in mind?" Alec asked.

Grinning wickedly, Jane pressed one finger to her lips, opened Alec's bedroom door, and slipped down the hallway. She found Heidi sitting at the desk in her room, flipping through the pages of some old book.

"Whatcha got there kiddo?"

"A book Ms. Bella dropped off." Heidi flipped through the book, showing her sister the illustrations of bright birds on the various pages. "She said it's Charles and Wren's favorite."

Perfect. A leeway into the plan. "Oh, that's awesome but …" Jane screwed her face up into a sad expression, "but it's too bad Ms. Bella, Charles, Wren, and Bree won't be coming around anymore."

Heidi dropped the book onto the desk. "What? Why?"

If Jane had a heart it would have cracked from the sight of her kid sister's expression. "You didn't hear? Ms. Bella and Dad had a big fight."

"About what?"

Jane shrugged, picked up one of Heidi's dolls, and pretended to examine the ugly thing. "You know. Grown up stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Heidi wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Completely grossed out, Jane dropped the doll and kicked it under Heidi's bed. She couldn't deal with the tears or the snot, so she decided for once in her life to be completely honest.

"Look, kid." Jane squatted down eye-level with the girl. "Here's the deal. You like Bella, right?" The little girl nodded. "And we both like how happy Dad's been since moving here, right?" Heidi nodded again. "So we've gotta help them out. Give them a little push. And we can't do it without your help. You do want to help … don't you?"

"Y-yes." Heidi hiccuped, and sucked in a ragged breath. "What do you want me to do?"

"You can start by drying your eyes." Jane chewed on her bottom lip, watching as her little sister dried her face with her shirt sleeve. "Save those tears for later. You might need them."

…

All bundled up for the short trip over to Bella's, Heidi followed behind the big kids across the yard and through the trees.

She wasn't exactly sure why they had to be quiet and stay out of sight so Miss Bella wouldn't hear or see them but she would gladly go with it if it meant she still got to play with her new friends from time to time, eat delicious, warm food, and read more entertaining books.

Wren and Charles faces lit up when Heidi stepped into their play room. "Hey, Heidi! What are you guys doing here?" Charles asked.

Heidi readily explained the situation, ripping off her coat and gloves and scattering them along the floor to the table where she joined Charles and Wren.

Passing her some paper and crayons, they were all ears and full of ideas. Every one crazier than the last.

"Okay, I got it," Charles added. "We send them high up into the sky on a hot air balloon. They'll be stuck up there for hours with nowhere to go and they'll have to work out their issues."

The room shared a look.

"Where exactly are we going to get a hot air balloon and how would we pay for it?" Bree asked.

"Isn't it a little cold for a hot air balloon? Do they even do that during the winter?" Alec asked, whipping out his phone to look it up.

"Ooh, good idea," Jane commended. "We should search the internet for ideas." She was already tapping away at her screen when little Heidi spoke up with the most sane idea yet.

"Maybe there's a book about people getting along we can borrow," she suggested, coloring in the hearts she'd drawn. There were eight total. Six small. Two big. One for each of them and their troubled parents.

Fingers stilling, Alec, Jane and Bree all looked up from their phones to glance at Heidi before sharing the same sly smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Geese a-laying

* * *

"What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" means that what is an appropriate treatment for one person is equally appropriate for someone else.

* * *

The next morning, Edward awoke feeling rather strange.

It was a foreboding sensation, as though something unexpected waited for him around every metaphorical corner.

Or maybe it was just the way the day began, with him waking up from a restless sleep, the sheets of his bed tangled around his sweaty legs. He wrestled away the damp cotton fabric and kicked the wrinkled ball of linen to the floor. Blazing hot sunlight shone through the windows in his bedroom, heating the already climate-controlled room. Edward climbed out of bed, rearranged the bunched boxers clinging to his body, and trodded across the room. He squinted past the glass and into the offensive winter morning. Kids rode their bikes up and down the block, laughing and chasing one another on their new bikes Santa delivered for them to ride on nice days just like this. Growling like the Grinch, Edward yanked the drapes closed, effectively shutting the sunlight from the room.

Unseasonably warm weather for December. That's what the buxom blonde forecaster on the local news channel announced. She said this with a beaming, red-lipped smile and a polyester suit two sizes too small for her curvy frame. Not that Edward was complaining. He sat at the bar in his kitchen overlooking the open-floor plan into the living room, shoveling Rice Krispies into his mouth and wondering if staring at Channel Four's oversized tits would compensate for the lack of romance in his life.

No, he wasn't complaining because he didn't have any room to complain. Bella had perfectly nice tits and he'd chased her off without help from anyone. There wasn't a thing in the world he could do to rectify the situation.

Or is there, he asked himself, pausing from his meal long enough to stare down uncertainty at his wedding ring. a year had passed since the death of his wife, three months since he'd first removed his wedding band. Yet, there he sat with that blasted ring back on his finger, literally holding on to the past. Wasn't it time to let go and … how'd the old adage go? Oh.

Let go and let God.

With one epic eye roll, Edward spooned the remainder of his breakfast into his mouth and let those five words brew in the forefront of his mind. He'd never contemplated the words before. Sure, he'd seen them plastered on motivational photos in his Facebook feed. Seen them retweeted on Twitter. He'd heard his mother say them a thousand times. But the thought of releasing all his problems into the hands of someone, or something he'd never seen before didn't sit well with Edward.

That sort of blind faith was terrifying.

Which made Bella either incredibly brave or terribly stupid. Sweet, kind, generous and genuine Bella was, but stupid? Edward didn't even pretend to consider the possibility.

Blind faith. Edward twisted the ring on his finger. Hadn't Bella put her faith in him, a person she could feel and see, only to have their relationship destroyed before it even had a chance to begin? Yes. Edward was certain she had.

The thumping of children's feet against the stairs interrupted him from his gloomy thoughts. All three of his kids skipped down the stairway, all three dressed for the day and wearing light jackets. Jane grabbed an apple from the basket on the bar, Alec a protein bar from the pantry, and Heidi snatched a banana from the banana hook.

Heidi gave their father a big grin. "Morning, Daddy."

Heidi hadn't called her father by anything other than Dad for the past two years. Edward still remembered the first time she switched from Daddy to Dad. It broke his heart then. And it confused him now. But as much as he wanted to question the use of his former informal title, Edward didn't want to knock it. The word left him feeling all warm and soft inside, like those sweet cookies Bella offered the kids one night at her house.

Damn. There he went thinking about her again.

"Morning, sugar." He cringed at the spur of the moment nickname, and at how it reminded him of his father.

Man, I'm getting old.

Jane polished the apple on her fuschia-colored shirt. "You care if we ride our bikes to the library?"

Edward blinked, staring at his daughter in astonishment. Since when did Jane ask him permission to do anything? Typically she'd loudly announce she was leaving and then left, or wouldn't say a word at all and just disappear for hours at a time.

Regaining his composure, Edward replied, "Uh, Yeah. Yeah, that's fine. Are you looking for anything in particular to check out, or just browsing?" A connoisseur in all things literature, Edward couldn't contain his curiosity.

Alec and Jane exchanged a knowing smile, but it vanished once Alec met his father's eyes. "Yes, sir. We're looking for this."

Alec tapped on his cell, then passed his father the phone. Edward stared down dumbly at the screen. There glowed a photo of a book with a handful of reviews and a price of twenty-two dollars and thirty-six cents on Amazon.

"Two Religions, One Faith." Frowning, he glanced up and into the eager eyes of his children. "What's this?"

"It's a parents guide on how to raise kids together while still practicing separate beliefs." Alec took the phone from his dad, pocketed it, and shrugged. "Not that we even have a religious belief-"

"Like at all," Jane interjected.

Alec frowned at his sister. "But it's the only book we could find to help us."

The four sat in thick silence until Edward cleared his throat and said, "Help you do what exactly?"

"Adapt," Jane answered smoothly, leveling her gaze at her father.

Alec took over before his sister ruined everything. "We see how much you like Bella, and we want to be prepared in case … you know. In case-"

"In case you marry Ms. Bella," Heidi sang.

Jane poked her kid sister and shook her head. Too much. Heidi nodded in silent understanding.

"Uh, kids, Bella and I, well." Edward grappled for words. "We've only known each other for a few days. Clearly not enough time to establish a relationship."

"You've spent every day with her since we moved here," Alec pointed out.

"And you're the happiest we've see you in, like, forever," Jane said.

Alec agreed with a nod. "And you didn't know Mom all that long either."

"Two years! We knew each other for two years before we went out."

"But you married her just a few weeks later. And," Alec added before his dad could argue. "It only took you a couple days to ask out Bella."

Jane gave a look that said you can't argue with that logic. "So, in retrospect, you two should already be married by now."

Edward was struck dumb, which in turn left him speechless. Who were these children and what had they done with his heathens?

He thought of a million things to tell them. This was different. That's not how it's done anymore. A love like that only comes around once in a lifetime and if it did come around more than once then it was too soon for it to happen again. But none of those were exactly true.

Before he could explain to his kids why it wasn't going to happen between Bella and him they were out the door, leaving him there alone to try and convince himself of it.

…

"Tell me you didn't play the holy plan card," Alice, Bella's sister hoped out loud but of course she knew her sister had. It was Bella's answer for everything.

"I didn't mention anything about holy. He was the one who brought God into it, not me."

"Still, he knew what you meant. Everybody knows what that means. And I shouldn't have to tell you, a sensible grown woman, what's sauce for the goose isn't always sauce for the gander. Not everybody believes in God."

"And that's their right." Bella stirred her tea, watching the silver spoon make circles around one of Mike's mother's white China tea cup she had gotten in the divorce. Mrs. Newton had insisted she keep them.

"You need to tread lightly here, girl. You lay it on too thick you're gonna scare him off before you see him naked."

"Alice Marie!"

"Don't Alice Marie me. Actin' all high and mighty like you haven't seen that ass in a pair of blue jeans." Alice moaned into her tea cup, remembering how it looked that morning when she spotted him checking his mail.

Bella glared at her sister with pursed lips. She shook her head then stared out in thought a moment before conceding. "It is pretty nice, isn't it?"

The two women shared a laugh as Bree came galloping down the stairs. "What are you guys laughing about?" She asked with a curious crease in her brow.

Her aunt continued to giggle while her mother straightened in her seat. "Nothing, honey. Where you off to?"

"Just riding my bike down to the library with the Cullens. They're coming over later, if that's ok."

Bella wanted to ask if that meant all of them but thought better of it. She didn't want her daughter thinking anything was wrong. "Uh, yeah, that's fine. What are y—"

"K, thanks! See ya later, Mom!" Bree cut Bella off as she ran for the door.

"Hey, what about me!"

"You too, Aunt Alice! Bye!"

Alice shrugged. "Guess that means I'm not invited."

…

Edward tried to go on with his day as normally as he could. He filled the dishwasher and checked the mail. Now he was wearing a line in the floor in front of the window waiting for his kids to return from the library.

Spotting them just down the street, he waited patiently for them to park their bikes in the front lawn but they turned into Bella's instead.

"Shit."

Edward slipped on his shoes and jacket then dashed out the back door and over to his neighbors to try and beat them to it.

...

Bella was down on her hands and knees scrubbing the kitchen floor. This was the last room she had to do before hopping in the shower and washing the stink off of her.

This was supposed to be a day of rest for Bella. Bree was out, the younger kids were zoned in to the TV. She was going to take a long leisurely bath, followed by a nap and then paint her nails but she couldn't bring herself to do any of it because she was stressed. When Bella got stressed she scrubbed things.

The sound of the front door opening made Bella freeze, looking up she found three pairs of shoes standing at the edge of the kitchen entrance. What time was it? Where had the day gone?

Sitting back on her heels Bella removed the sweaty bangs from her forehead. "Hey, guys. How's it going?" She asked, slightly out of breath before rising to her feet with achy knees.

"Everything's great," Jane said with a sly smile. Why was it Bella didn't believe her?

"Yeah, Mom. Everything's fine. Do you have a minute to come into the dining room?" Jane pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. Okay. Sure." Bella tossed the rag she was gripping into the sink and headed for the next room.

"Have a seat," Bree insisted, sliding a book in front of her mother when she joined them at the table.

Bella read the title aloud. "Two Religions, One Faith." Her brow creased. "What's this?"

"A book." Jane stated the obvious.

Bella looked up at her with an unamused expression. "I can see that. What are you all doing with it?"

Bree opened her mouth to explain but was cut off by the sound Edward busting through the backdoor. "Stop! Wait, stop!" he yelled as he made his way through the kitchen.

"It's a parents guide on how to raise kids together while still practicing separate beliefs." Alec quickly reiterated what he had told his father before he could stop him.

"It's for when you marry our dad," Heidi added from her spot in front of the TV.

Jane facepalmed. Alec gummed his lips to keep from laughing just as Edward rounded the dining room entryway.

"I'm sorry. What?" Bella asked, completely confused and overwhelmed.

Silence filled the room as Edward caught his breath, allowing little Heidi to repeat herself in her sweet, innocent voice before her father could jump in.

"Bella, I—"

Holding her hand up Bella silenced him.

"Excuse me," she requested then stood and headed into the bathroom. She paced the small confines until someone knocked on the door.

"Bella, are you alright? Can I come in?" Edward's muffled voice reverberated through the wood.

When she didn't answer Edward opened the door anyway and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. "I'm sorry. I tried to talk to them this morning but they wouldn't listen. What was I supposed to do?"

Bella shrugged sarcastically. "I don't know. Forbid them from going to the library or leaving the house? Not let them come over here and get their hopes up with this ridiculous—" she stopped herself before referring to any kind of a relationship with Edward as ridiculous.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let them go. I should have stopped them, you're right. But, I—" Warning sirens went off in Edward's head and he stopped himself.

"You what?" Bella asked, a little ray of sunshine breaking through the rain clouds hovering above her heart.

"Nothing. It's … Nevermind. Look, let's go back out there. We'll sit the kids down and explain it to them together."

"Explain what? What is it exactly that we're going to explain?"

Edward shrugged, unable to explain it to Bella. He couldn't even explain it to himself.

"Obviously, the kids heard us fighting yesterday. We need to explain to them that nothing's wrong. That the fight was a misunderstanding and everything's fine between us."

"But not everything's fine. I don't want to lie to them."

Edward thought for a moment before coming up with a solution. "Okay well, we're friends, right?"

Bella shrugged, unsure. "I guess. If you still want to be."

"Of course I do. Don't you?" He asked, a tinge hurt. Though, he supposed he had it coming with the way he had acted.

The distressed look in his eyes touched Bella and her demeanor softened.

"Of course I want to be friends with you, Edward."

"Okay, so it's settled. We're friends. And sometimes friends have misunderstandings but that doesn't mean they're not still …"

"Friends." Bella finished his sentence.

"Yeah."

Bella held Edward's stare pretending to agree that being friends was going to be enough.

"Now, let's go out there and explain that to them."

Bella nodded in agreement.

Edward took one last lingering look at her in her tattered flannel and leggings. His heart lurched, wanting him to step forward and tuck a piece of flyaway hair behind her ear and confess that the friendship between them would never be enough. Not for him. He wanted more than that but it was still too soon. Wasn't it?

Instead of confessing his thoughts and concerns, he turned away to open the door, finding it had been locked from the outside.

* * *

Starting twice a week updates. 12 chapters total! See ya Friyay!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Swans a-swimming

* * *

Swans usually mate for life, though "divorce" does sometimes occur, and if a mate dies, the remaining swan will take up with another.

* * *

"Locked?" Bella reached for the doorknob and their fingers briefly touched.

An odd jolt of electricity shot passed between them during the slight contact. The couple jumped at the shock.

Edward took a step back, shaking a strange, tingling sensation from his hand. "Yeah, locked. How in the hell do they have us locked from the outside?"

"This is my fault," Bella groaned, remembering. "The old one needed replacing, and I accidently installed the new door knob backwards. I've been meaning to fix it, but it keeps slipping my mind."

Edward made a mental note to fix the door and whatever else needed fixing after they got out of there and thoroughly punished their kids.

The two glanced at the door once again. Bella softly rapped her knuckles against the wood and called out their children's names, but there was nothing but silence from the other side. She turned around and leaned against the door, then sank to the ground. The back of her head lightly tapped against the wood as she banged it in frustration.

Bella rubbed her temples. "I'm sorry. My kids have never done anything like this."

Chuckling despite the situation, Edward joined her on the floor. "Yeah, well, mine have."

He leaned against the cabinet below the sink, pretending the metal handles weren't digging into his back. The bathroom was only a half-bath. A sink and a commode took up most of the cramped space. Hovering over her while she sank to the floor in despair didn't sit right with Edward. And sitting on the toilet until the kids released them from their prison seemed weird.

"They're forcing us to talk." Bella stopped rubbing her temples to toy with a loose thread hanging from her tattered flannel.

"Seems that way."

Edward watched the hypnotizing motion of her fingers twisting the thread. He noticed a sliver of skin through the worn fabric. A frayed hole exposed the creamy skin of her abdomen. The hole was tiny, but it revealed enough to send a thrill of longing through Edward's body. Bella noticed him looking, and her cheeks blossomed into that rosy color Edward loved so much.

"This shirt belonged to Mike," she continued. "It's the only article of clothing he left behind when he moved out."

"Oh, uh." Edward cleared his throat, unsure of how to respond. Why was she bringing up her ex? Fortunately for him, he didn't need to respond. Bella broke into a fit of laughter, her giggles increasing when she noticed his flabbergasted expression.

"I only wear it when I scrub the toilets. You wanna know why?

Confused but growing amused, Edward quirked a smile and nodded. "Yeah, why?"

Bella leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, just in case the kids were listening on the other side. Edward leaned forward as well. There foreheads were nearly touching when Bella whispered into his ear.

"I wear Mike's shirt when I clean the toilets because my ex is a piece of shit."

Edward hadn't heard her curse before, and for a split second he was surprised into silence. Bella, on the other hand, broke into another fit of giggles, more from the expression on Edward's face than because of what she'd said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Bella ran the back of her fingers under her eyes, wiping away a couple tears of laughter. "I thought we needed a little humor considering." She gestured around the room.

"Considering we're trapped in the shitter together?" Edward cracked a grin.

Shrugging, she said, "We could find ourselves trapped in worse places."

"Such as?"

Bella pretended to think for a moment, then shook her head. "Nope. I was wrong. This is the worst."

Edward smirked. "At least we're in good company though."

Bella smile went soft. She focused on the loose thread. She couldn't look him in the eyes. Not when he stared at her the way he did, with conflicting emotions waging a war on his face.

"You say things like that, and look at me the way you do," Bella whispered, "then push me away and say you want to be friends. I want to say it's all very confusing, but it's not. I know exactly how you feel. You're … you're the first person since my divorce that I feel like I'm not wasting my time with. And that's frightening."

"Why's it frightening?" Edward asked.

Bella glanced up from the thread. "Why's it frightening to you?"

Edward's throat went dry. There were so many reasons. They were two different people. What if their differences eventually divided them? Or worse, what if things did work out? And then something terrible happened such as divorce.

Or death.

"I can't watch my children suffer again," Edward said.

"Is it really about them suffering, Edward?" Bella quietly replied. "Or is it more about you?"

"A little of both, I guess."

Edward's arms rested on his knees. The ring on his left hand remained in place. Bella caught a glint of it under the fluorescents. Despite their children's plans, despite the longing they both felt for one another, and despite Alice's insistence that her sister consider Edward's finest assets, the couple found themselves at an impasse.

"We better find a way out of here." Edward stood, and offered his hand to Bella.

Nodding, she took it and he pulled her up, underestimating how light she was. She lost her footing and stumbled against him. With his hands on her hips, he steadied her. The warmth he felt from viewing that small sliver of skin earlier returned tenfold as his hands slid up from her hips and rested on her waist underneath the old flannel.

Bella's hands were on his chest, so hard underneath the soft cotton of his shirt. Bella didn't remember them landing there. She didn't remember that, and she never thought she'd remember the way she burned for a man.

But had she? Had she ever burned for Mike the way she was now burning for Edward?

There was no time to question it any further, not when his thumbs were massaging the dip of muscles on either side of her belly. Not when they were so dangerously close to that place only her own fingers occupied from time to time. There was no time to question anything, other than the taste of his lips. And that was no longer left to question when their mouths touched.

It was soft, at first. Barely there but for a breath before Edward deepened the kiss, pushing Bella's head back like the kind she'd only read about in books and seen in movies.

What had they been talking about again?

Edward's tongue teased Bella's upper lip. She opened for him, her arms wrapping around his neck as their tongues slipped across one another.

His fingers dug into her sides and she tightened her grip, both pressing into the other even harder.

Caught up in their lust, they didn't hear the soft mumbling of voices from the other side of the door. They didn't hear the rattle of the knob, or the soft pleas from their kids. They didn't hear the door swing open, but they did hear one thing: Mike's angry voice as he burst into the room.

"Get your hands off my wife!"

Startled, Bella jumped back out of Edward's grip, both wiping their mouths dry while they caught their breath.

Six smiling faces surrounded Mike's frown. The three youngest giggled and covered their mouths with their hands.

"Cool it, Mike. This isn't the time or place," Bella said, adjusting her top.

"Oh, I think it's the perfect time and place, Bella. You're kissing another guy in my house. In the bathroom I added!"

Edward could almost see smoke billowing from Bella's nostrils.

"The bathroom you added, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah well, the plumbing doesn't even work!" She yelled in frustration then stomped past the crowd. Mike followed her up the stairs and into their bedroom. Bella's bedroom.

"What are you doing here, Mike? It isn't your weekend."

"I've been texting you all afternoon. If you'd answer your phone you would know that I need to switch my weekend to this weekend because I'm going out of town next week and won't be able to see the kids."

"Why? Where are you going?"

Mike stalled, wiping his nose with his thumb and forefinger then placing his hands on his hips. "I'm taking Jessica out of town."

"Where." Bella stared him down, daring him to tell her what he obviously didn't want to.

"Look, Bella."

"Where, Mike?"

"Paris."

Bella's heart broke in two for the second time because of this man. That trip should have been hers. They hadn't been in years even though she begged him to take them. Stupidly, she thought maybe it would breathe new life into the relationship. But their problem wasn't the place. It was the who.

Bella shook her head and stood her ground. "No … No."

"Bella, come on."

"No, no, no, no, no!"

Bella was sure the kids could hear her from downstairs but she didn't care. She'd had enough of being trampled on and taken advantage of. She had enough of playing complacent and nice.

Mike could only stare at her, mouth hanging open while Edward noisily made his way up the stairs. "I heard yelling. Everything okay?" he asked, standing in the entryway.

Mike flared his nostrils. "Why are you still here?" He scowled like a petulant child.

"I'm here for Bella. Somebody's gotta be."

"What did you say to me?"

"Okay, enough. Stop. There's kids downstairs," Bella reminded them.

"You're the one that was yelling." Mike pointed out, causing Bella to almost lose her mind again.

Edward watched in increasing interest as Bella's spine straightened. Her shoulders rounded, pushing out a silhouette of nice natural breasts.

"Get out." She said, seething at her ex.

Mike went slack jawed again. Probably having never been privy to this side of Bella before.

Edward on the other hand, was used to being put in his place by strong women. It turned him on to witness Bella's wrath rather than be on the receiving end of it.

"I mean it, Mike. Get out." She pointed towards the door.

"But what about the kids?"

"You take the kids when you're scheduled to take them or not at all." She stepped forward. "And I want to remind you that I'm not your wife. I'm your ex wife, Mike. I can kiss whoever I want, whenever I want and there's nothing you can do or say about it. You lost that privilege the minute you stuck your dick in that whore secretary of yours."

Edward's brows shot up.

Mike blanched. "Bella …"

"Are we clear?"

"I …"

"Are we clear?" Bella repeated herself slowly and clearly.

Mike scratched his brow with his thumb, the other hand tucked safely in his pocket. "Yeah, we're clear." His holier than thou demeanor had fully deflated. Hunched he left the room, not quite meeting Edward's eyes as he passed.

Bella waited until the front door slammed before she addressed Edward. "As for you."

Edward touched his chest as if to ask me?

"I don't need anybody, especially a man I hardly know to do my bidding. I can handle myself."

"Clearly."

Bella's balled fists loosened.

Edward stepped into the room. "I know you can handle yourself, Bella. I see how strong you are every day. But as for needing someone … I think you're wrong."

Bella's fists tightened again.

Edward moved closer and closer until he was standing directly in front of her. He studied her face, his hands following his eyes down her cheeks then her neck and shoulders. His fingers lightly skimmed the fabric dangling along her arms, folding over her clenched hands. "I think you need someone. I think … I think we both do." The look in his eyes was telling her he knew this was crazy. But she was the one he needed, the one he wanted to be there for him. She was was more than a friend. She had to be.

Bella's eyes softened and she returned the look, opening up her palms and taking his hands in hers.

Edward could feel them shaking as her adrenaline depleted.

Now it was remorse that coursed through her veins. "Oh, no. The kids …"

"The kids are fine," Edward assured her, letting go of her hands to wrap his arms around her. "I think they understand a lot more than we give them credit for."

The two pressed their foreheads together, letting the other take on the weight hanging heavily over their minds and their hearts.

For the first time in a long time they felt a sense of peace.

* * *

See ya Monday!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Maids a-milking

* * *

The eight blessings

* * *

Bella half expected Edward to show up and surprise her at church the following morning. She was disappointed when he didn't.

Although Esme Cullen had no idea anything new had kindled between her son and Bella, she somehow knew he was to blame for the slump of disappointment in Bella's shoulders. Esme settled down on the pew beside the young lady, and took her hand between her own.

"Keep your spirits up. He'll come around."

Bella glanced at Esme in surprise, her gaze not fully clearing away until Edward's tall, studious-looking father joined his wife on the pew. Carlisle nodded at Bella before sitting down. The overhead lights glinted against the tiny spectacles perched on the tip of his nose. Bella always thought he looked more the part of a nerdy, yet smoldering librarian in contrast to the brilliant heart surgeon that he was.

"Carlisle, I'm surprised to see you here," Bella said. "You're usually on-call every weekend in December. Didn't you once tell me this is the busiest month of the year for you?"

"Typically yes, but the hospital's trying to wine and dine me," Carlisle admitted. "But nothing's about to sway me from retirement." Carlisle gave his wife a tender smile. Esme abandoned Bella's hand for those of her husband.

"I'll finally get him all to myself," Esme whispered, beaming. Her voice lowered as services began.

Bella settled in for a good sermon, her mind wandering occasionally whenever one of her younger children began whispering to one another, or squirming in place. Occasionally Bella would swat their hands with a rolled up church program, but for the most part a stern look quieted them down.

"Let's us pray for those from the congregation we have lost during this time of year," one of the elders requested from the podium.

He rattled off a couple of names of old widow women and shut-ins who'd become ill and passed during the holiday season. Everyone bowed their heads to pray for them and their families. As the elder prayed, Bella's mind wandered to Edward's deceased wife, to him and their children she'd left behind. She didn't have to imagine how hard it was around the holidays without a mother.

Bella herself spent plenty of Christmases without her mom around, but that tended to happen when your mother was a groupie following her favorite bands for the past forty or so years. A phone call here and there were the only forms of communication between Bella and Renee, along with an occasional postcard from some foreign country.

Bella envied her mother at times. She envied her sense of adventure, and the way she lived her life from one minute to the next, never sure how or where she'd spend the night from one day to the next. But as the prayer ended and Bella opened her eyes, she glanced at her children, at the church, and the roots she'd planted in the small town, and remembered why irresponsibility never fully appealed to her.

Someone shuffled into the pew behind her. A manly fragrance filled the air, and for a fleeting moment Bella thought of Edward, their joined hands the night before, the sprig of hope that'd sprouted in her soul last night as they formed another connection. But the longer she breathed in the cologne, the more familiar the fragrance grew. It wasn't a fragment of hope and destiny, but one of the past, one of heartache, pain, and never ending hope … at least on his part.

"Bella," Mike quietly whispered. "After services, can we talk?"

Bella's mouth settled into a firm, unyielding line. Mike temporarily relented. He slumped back into the pew directly behind her, smiling only when the kids sent him somber glances.

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land!" The pastor belted, unsmiling even at the frowning murmur of approval rumbling from the congregation.

Bella struggled to pay attention, but it proved difficult. Edward wasn't there, and Mike was. Jessica was surprisingly absent from his side. Shocking since they'd been attached at the hip since the day Bella caught the two wrapped in a lover's embrace.

Morning service ended, and there was a lull in time when the different ages broke into groups. Mike stood idle in the aisle, his cheeks pink with embarrassment as his children elbowed past him in avoidance.

Several people noticed, and bowed their heads together, avoiding the Newton's eyes in a failed attempt to indiscreetly gossip. Bella gave the old ladies a pointed glare, and they flocked away from the former couple like a gaggle of geese.

"Can we talk?" Mike repeated. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

"So you've apologized." Bella smiled at a passerby, her stretched lips returning to a frown once they'd passed.

"My behavior's been unacceptable. Last night, then at the movies." Mike rubbed his shiny forehead, and managed to somehow look abashed.

"Wait, what? The movies?"

Mike pressed his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants, nodded, and leaned back in his shiny leather shoes. "In the restroom at the theater a few nights ago? We had a little scuffle. I was sure Edward would tell you."

Bella stared at Mike, and determined he wasn't lying. But why hadn't Edward told her about the scuffle that night or any other night since? Bella wasn't certain why he'd kept it to himself, but she was certain of one thing: lying by omission was still lying. In fact, Bella felt it was the worst of lies. It was a Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley sort of lie.

"He didn't tell you?" Mike realized it the moment he said it aloud. Bella could see the struggle he contained to keep himself from grinning. "Guess Mr. Perfect's not that perfect after all."

Before Bella could formulate a snarky remark, she caught sight of Bree gesturing at her past the sanctuary door.

"Okay well, good seeing you, Mike." Cringing, Bella left him standing in the aisle and silently prayed the Lord wouldn't cast the building crashing down around her for telling that lie.

"You won't believe who's here," Bree whispered, once her mother joined her near the doors. "Edward."

Eyebrows raised, Bella followed Bree's line of sight. She spotted Edward's car in the lot, the silver Volvo he'd purchased shortly after moving to town. Bella could see his outline behind the steering wheel.

"Excuse me for a sec," Bella told her daughter, who nodded in return. Bella pushed open the glass doors leading to the lot just as a familiar voice spoke from Bree's right side.

"So, is the teen Bible class as boring as I imagine?"

Bree turned her head, noticing Jane leaning against the wall. She was inspecting her nails: lavender with silver sparkles. It matched her dress and the tips of her hair.

"Boring? You think the Bible is boring?" Bree approached the girl, glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "You ever heard of Elisha?" Jane shook her head and Bree continued. "Yeah, well, some kids were teasing Elisha for the way he looked. And you know what he did? He summoned bears to come out of the woods and maul the crap out of them. Clawed those kids to death. All forty-two kids. The guy was so hardcore, he was still kicking butt and taking names even after he was dead. I'm talking about resurrection, dude. Full on zombie mode."

...

As Bella reached Edward's passenger side window he rolled it down. Crouching, Bella peeked inside ready to lay into him for not telling her about his run in with Mike.

"Hi, Miss Bella." Heidi greeted her from the back seat. Alec bobbed his head, lost to the soundtrack streaming from his oversized earphones.

Well, shoot. It wasn't as if she could do it with little ears listening. She guessed it would have to wait.

"Hi, honey." Bella waved, giving the sweet girl an equally sweet smile before addressing her father.

"What are you guys doing out here? All the fun happens inside." Bella jerked her head in the direction of the church.

Edward smirked. "Us Cullen's make our own fun. Don't we?" He glanced in the rear view mirror and Heidi agreed.

"What do you say?" He hit the steering wheel with an open palm. "You wanna join us for some?"

"Now?" Bella asked, forgetting her annoyance as excitement coated her stomach in warmth. She couldn't remember the last time she did something spontaneous. It made her feel like a teenager again. A teenager with kids and a lingering ex husband to consider.

"I figured we could all get a bite to eat. Maybe take it to the beach. It's an unseasonably warm day."

That it was. The back of Bella's neck and a few other places had already started to sweat.

"You know what? Yes. We would love to go to the beach with you." They could take a walk along the beach and talk while the kids were out of earshot. "Just let me corral the kids and take them home to change." Charles dress pants were only half an inch too short. She didn't need him dirtying them up just yet. "We'll meet you back at the house. Let's say, thirty minutes?"

Edward nodded and started up the car. Jane came running across the parking lot to push past Bella and hop in the front seat.

"I want to go to bible study," she blurted with a dreamy look on her face, surprising both Bella her dad.

"Bible study."

"Yeah, it sounds bad ass."

"Jane."

"Sorry, but it does." Jane shrugged.

"It's not such a bad idea," Bella put in her two cents, which Jane appreciated even though Bella was obviously saying the girl needed guidance. She let them believe her wishes were pure of heart and purposely left out the part about zombies.

"I'm sorry for saying ass and for being a pain all the time. Maybe this will help me stop." Jane pleaded to her suspicious father who was already placing blame on some imaginary boy for his daughter's sudden change of heart. When he looked at her pout he still saw his little girl. She wasn't old enough for boys yet. Not if you asked him. But of course, Edward wasn't naive. He rolled his eyes up to the sunroof overtaken by thoughts of raging hormones and how he knew his kids would one day have them. That day had come and it just killed him.

"I can give her a ride, if you'd like. I'd be bringing Bree anyway."

Edward's unsure expression pained Bella. Their faith was the only part of them that didn't seem to be compatible. In fact, it was so incompatible that it made Bella feel as if it were her beliefs, and her beliefs alone that were driving this wedge between them.

Straightening, Bella hid her frown with the roof of the car while Jane looked pleadingly at her dad for approval.

"Yeah, sure. Do what you want." It wasn't like she didn't already. Most of the time anyway. Maybe his little, borderline homicidal tyrant was turning a new leaf after all.

Jane beamed, thanking her father before turning to Bella. The girl's bright smile almost made up for her father's clear discomfort with this big part of Bella's life.

Bypassing the tension, they all parted ways with a plan to meet up at Edward's once everyone was ready.

It only made sense to take Bella's van through the drive thru and then to the beach. The kids filed out in a sprint for the sand leaving the two adults to carry all the sacks and drinks to the picnic area.

Sorting the food, Bella and Edward smiled after their three younger children running around the sand in winding circles.

"So much energy. If only I had half of it." Bella thought aloud.

Edward smirked. "I know what you mean." He motioned for her to sit on the bench of the picnic table in front of them before he joined her. Their knees touched and that was all Bella could seem to focus on. Not the problems they faced or the very real barriers that needed working on. There were definitely no problems in the physical department. No, sir. Considering what had happened in her bathroom the other day, they were both very certain they liked touching each other.

"Do you remember much of your childhood?" Bella asked, trying to distract herself from the buzz of electricity her body was producing.

Edward shrugged, swallowed a mouthful of his burger and wiped his lips. It was the first time Bella noticed he was no longer wearing his wedding ring.

"Yeah. I mean, bits and pieces. I don't remember specific things unless something jogs my memory." Edward took another big bite then spoke around it. "You?"

Bella admired how his jaw worked a piece of meat, wondering what he was hiding before answering.

"Mine was … interesting."

"Interesting, huh? How so?" Edward sipped on his drink, eyeing Bella in anticipation of her explanation.

But little did he know, she knew how to keep a secret, too. Nobody in town knew about her mom. Not that she knew of. Not even Mike. "My mom wasn't exactly traditional."

Edward quirked an eyebrow, his mouth wrapped firmly around the end of his straw. Bella licked her lips and looked down at where her fingers were nervously picking at the bumpy wood of the picnic table.

"She uh, traveled a lot. Left me and my sister Alice with our grandma. But we had each other and we made the most of it. I remember being happy." Much happier than she was now as an adult.

Bella squinted a smile up at Edward. He regarded her thoughtfully, his eyes roaming her face before he softly smiled back then both turned their attention to the kids again. They kept tabs on all of them in silence as they ate, their knees still touching until Edward got up and held out his hand.

"Care to try and help me build a sand snowman? Sandman? Whatever you'd call it."

They shared a soft laugh. That childlike excitement ballooned up from Bella's stomach into her chest. She took Edward's hand, following him out to the sand where they recruited the kids to collect sticks and shells for the makeshift sandsnowman they were planning on building together. The idea sounded so fun the bigger kids even joined in.

Bella fell back as the rest of them chased Edward down the beach. Swarming him, Charles jumped on his back while Wren and Heidi each grabbed an arm, easily taking him down.

Bella's forgiving heart swelled, letting go of the fact he hadn't been one hundred percent truthful about what he remembered about his childhood or getting into a tiff with the father of her children. Mike had started something and Edward had clearly ended it with no intention of causing Bella and her family any additional strife. It was nothing like what Mike and Jessica had done to her.

Edward was a good father, a good friend and a good man. Bella respected him. And despite the secrets and their vast differences, she possibly even was starting to love him for that.

* * *

See y'all Friday!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

Ladies Dancing

* * *

9 fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and **_self-control_**

* * *

By ten PM New Years Eve, Bella had dropped off Charles and Wren at Mike's parent's house. Bree finally talked her mother into letting her spend the night with the neighbors and Bella was sitting alone in a center pew at the church.

This was the second watchnight service Bella had attended. She found them to be more renewing than watching the ball drop or throwing confetti. Those things didn't get you anything but a mess. It was chaos. Chaos didn't prepare. Bella needed quiet and concentration. Nothing prepared her for the approaching new year better than a good, long prayer.

Eyes closed and hands clasped, that was exactly what she was doing when she felt a jolt from a ways down the pew. Peeking through a few strands of her hair Bella found Esme staggering down the aisle, eventually making it far enough to plop down beside her.

Wrapping it up, Bella took a better look at her unusually docile friend, noticing her bloodshot eyes and how her mascara had been smeared all over her tear stained cheeks.

"Esme, is everything okay? Has something happened to Carlisle?" At the mention of her husband's name Esme began to spring fresh tears.

Bella's stomach dropped and she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. She didn't know what to think but the worst. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?

"Shh, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay," Bella uselessly tried to console her inconsolable friend. Esme's shoulders shook with violent sobs. Bella thought she detected a hint of liquor on Esme's breath.

"Esme, have you been drinking?" Bella whispered into Esme's ear. She nodded.

"Okay, come on. Let's get you out of here."

Esme nodded again, letting Bella help her up and out of the church while everyone stared after them.

"Did you drive yourself here?" Bella asked, once they were outside. She took Esme's silence as confirmation that she had in fact drove drunk.

"Well, you're not driving home. That's for sure," Bella told her, draping Esme's arm over her shoulder. Wrapping an arm around Esme's waist Bella helped her navigate the parking lot until they found Bella's van.

"Here, let me help you in." Bella opened the passenger side door, guided Esme in and buckled her seatbelt.

Slamming the door shut Bella blew out a calming breath into the night then rounded the car to get in herself.

The two women sat in silence for a few moments. Bella trying to wrap her head around what was happening before she started up the car and headed out of the parking lot in the direction of Esme's house.

"Where are you going?" Esme blurted.

So, she could talk.

"I'm taking you home. Where else?"

Esme shook her head. "No. No, I can't go home. I can't go there. I can't be alone. Don't leave me alone," she begged, pure terror in her eyes.

The crazed look scared Bella. She had never seen Esme with so much as a hair out of place. Everything about this woman was a complete and total mess. Chaos.

Perplexed and out of options, Bella put on her blinker and made a u-turn, heading in the direction of her own house.

"Okay, but you're gonna have to help me out, here. If I don't know what's wrong I can't help you."

"Nobody can help me." Bella thought she heard Esme mumble in the direction of the window.

Bella glanced Esme out the corner of her eye waiting patiently on more of an explanation.

After a few moments Esme sighed. "Carlisle's not retiring. He told me today then ran off to the hospital for an emergency." She sneered the word.

Bella felt for Esme. She truly did. She knew how excited she had been to not have to share Carlisle with every other broken heart of the world. How alone she must have felt to drink herself this stupid.

One hand on the wheel Bella grasped her friend's hand with her other. Esme clung to it until they pulled into Bella's driveway. Once inside, Esme plopped down on the couch.

"I'm going to make us some coffee. You wait here. I'll be right back."

Bella started up a pot of French roast then snuck out the back door, freezing her tush off all the way to the neighbors to let Edward in on what was going on.

If her mother had shown up somewhere drunk and crying she would want to know about it.

Arms crossed tightly across her chest Bella shivered. Her breaths billowing out of her like a smoking chimney. She straightened when a light flipped on inside, thankful it was Edward who answered the door.

"Jesus, Bella. You scared the shit out of me. Get in here. It's freezing."

On near frozen legs Bella stepped inside and into Edward's embrace. He quickly warmed her, rubbing the feeling back into her arms.

"What are you doing out so late? Is something wrong?"

Bella licked her dry lips and nearly cut her tongue.

"I need you to come over to my place. There's an issue."

Edward gave her a strange look. Was this code for sex? Did she want to have sex? Was she ready for that? Was he?

Shit, yeah he was.

"It's your mother," she whispered. "She's at my house. She's drunk."

The color drained from Edward's face along with his excitement. His hands stilled on Bella's arms. He dropped them to his sides then used one to rub his eyes in a manner that made Bella think this wasn't the first time Esme had done something like this.

"Ok. Just let me get my coat."

Bella nodded, waiting in the center of the foyer.

When Edward returned with his coat he draped it over Bella's shoulders instead of putting it on himself.

The gesture touched Bella in a way nothing ever had and she pushed to her tiptoes, placing a kiss on the underside of Edward's jaw.

If the situation were any different Edward would have bent to catch her lips. Maybe even taken her upstairs and kissed her somewhere else.

But as it was, they had other pressing matters to tend to.

Bella and Edward snuck in through the back door to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Bella poured Esme a cup before leading the way into the living room where they found Edward's mother passed out on the couch.

Edward gestured at his sleeping mother. "Meet the Esme Cullen of my youth. Despite three stints in rehab, looks like she hasn't changed much."

"Rehab?" Bella whispered. "Esme's been to rehab?"

"Yeah." Edward picked up a throw from the back of the couch and tucked it around his mother's sleeping form. "When people thought she was vacationing in Florida and California, she was staying in some of the best rehab facilities in the country."

"And your father? Where was he during that time?"

Edward shoved his hands into his pockets, and leaned back on his heels. "Probably shacking up with one of the nurses he works with down in Charleston." He gave Bella a bitter smile. "Not the exemplary Christian family you imagined, huh?"

Bella didn't respond, mostly because she didn't know what to say. Esme mumbled in her sleep, and the couple froze. Seconds later, her breathing became heavy once more. Light snores filled the air. Edward looked away, embarrassed, but Bella was having none of that.

"No sense in this coffee going to waste. You want to join me in the kitchen for a cup?"

After one last look at his slumbering mother, Edward nodded and followed Bella into the kitchen. He pulled out a stool at the bar and settled in to watch Bella pour him a cup after warming her own.

"I'll never sleep," Bella confessed, scooting his cup across the counter. She leaned on the bar across from him, blowing the steam over the rim of her mug. "Coffee keeps me wired for hours. Good thing I've got you to keep me company."

"You sure you're not tired of me yet? Or my family?"

"Of course not. I love your family. Your kids—"

"My kids are great." Edward chuckled. "Okay, so Jane can be a handful, but she's got a good heart. It's just hard to see sometimes."

"I see it." Bella smiled into her coffee. "And I see your mother's good heart. I'm sorry she's having to battle so many demons. How long has this been going on? The drinking, the rehab, Carlisle's … indiscretions."

"Since I was a kid." He swirled the spoon in his mug, watching the dark liquid tornado around. "Dad would cheat. Mom would drink. They'd fight Monday through Saturday, then drag me to church on Sunday's. That's the one day a week we'd pretend to be a normal, functioning family. And when I turned old enough to move out—"

"You left and never looked back?"

Edward pursed his lips in thought. "I left, but do we ever really leave? Do we ever really not look back? I cut them out of my life, and essentially the lives of my children. Blamed them for every mistake I've made. Yet, here I am, back in North Carolina. Maybe I thought … no, maybe I hoped things would be different somehow."

Bella reached across the bar, taking one of his hands into her own. "Maybe they haven't changed much, but I'm willing to bet you have."

Edward met her eyes. His hand felt large and warm with his long fingers laced through hers. He liked the smallness of it, the way her skin felt soft and delicate under the slight toughness of his own.

"You wouldn't have come back here if you hadn't changed," Bella continued. "You'd still be stuck in a rut back in Seattle. It must have been a hard decision to move back to this place where you have so many unhappy memories." Bella's caring smile wavered. "I know all about unhappy memories."

Bella shut her eyes tight, licking her lips before finding the courage and meeting Edward's eyes again.

"My Mom didn't just travel. She was a groupie."

Edward's mouth parted. "No shit?"

Bella nodded. "No shit. Tommy Lee, Bret Michaels, Kid Rock. Basically she hooked up with any rock star with tattoos on his arms and a guitar pick in his hand. She was one of the original video girls." Bella sighed. "Anyway, she was always too busy chasing bands around the country to take care of us, so our Gram took on that responsibility."

"Our? Sorry, I didn't know you had siblings."

"Sibling." Bella held up a finger. "Just one. Alice."

"What about your dad? Where was he while all this was going on?"

Bella sighed, stirring her coffee. "Not sure. Maybe another groupie, or a roadie. Mom never said." She shrugged. "We could be rock and roll royalty for all we know."

"Wow."

"Yeah, besides Gram, Alice was the only stability I had in my life, which is a big reason why I try my best to give my kids everything I never had."

"We all do that," Edward replied. "Try to give our kids what we never had."

"You ever stop and think that maybe we're so busy giving them the things we didn't have, that we're not giving them the things they need?"

"Such as?"

"Such as … happy parents." Bella squeezed Edward's hand. "Sometimes I'm so wrapped up in my own thoughts, in my own anger at Mike, that I forget that I deserve some happiness in my life."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Edward tapped the handle of his coffee cup with his thumb, staring at the brown concoction.

"I want to be happy. I want to know what it feels like to be fulfilled, content even. I've been angry for so long. If not over my mother then over Mike. But that's my fault. Mike was all I knew and it was comfortable. We never should have gotten married in the first place. How about you?"

"How about me, what?"

"Were you happily married? Did you make the right choice?"

Edward thought back fondly to when he first met Angie. It was never love at first sight. Edward didn't have a crush. But Angie was a good person. She grew on him and their friendship eventually turned into love.

"Yeah, I made the right choice." At least, he had back then. Who knew if it would be now?

Bella's frown morphed into a somber smile. "I'm glad."

The coffee had turned cold in the midst of their conversation. Bella offered to refill Edward's but he refused.

"I should probably get back home."

"Yeah, of course." Bella was the first to pull her hand away, leaving Edward's too cool for his liking. If only his mother wasn't passed out on the couch and he didn't have a young kid sleeping next door …

"I hate to ask, but would you mind keeping her for the night? I'd carry her home, but I don't want the kids to see."

"Absolutely. That's no problem. I'll just give her a lift back to her car in the morning. Unless you're wanting to talk to her first."

"No."

Bella nodded in understanding. "Okay, then. I'll make sure she gets home."

Edward glanced in the direction of the living room where his mother lay sleeping. "Yeah, okay. That would be good." Shoving his hands in his pockets he turned his timid attention back to Bella. "Thank you."

She could see the embarrassment creeping back into his eyes. She hated that he could feel that way with her. Telling him about her mom had been easier than she expected. She enjoyed talking to him. It was comfortable once she got going. She wanted him to be comfortable with her too.

"I'm glad to do it. And hey, if you ever want to talk some more, I'm here. From one parent with a messed up parent to another." Bella blew out a laugh. Edward visibly relaxed. "My door's always open."

* * *

See ya Monday!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

Lords a-leaping

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The Ten Commandments

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Don't think ff was sending notifications Friday so make sure you've read ch9 before this one!

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Alec dipped a tiny paintbrush into the model car paint and twisted it slightly, coating the bristles. He tapped the brush against the rim, knocking off the excess paint. The glossiness shone bright under the light of the desk lamp as he painted the tiny door on a newly purchased model Mustang his grandmother bought him as a Christmas gift.

The car was the first of many gifts he'd received over the last few days. Seemed like Esme Cullen spent the last nine days making up for lost time. First she'd gifted him and his siblings with a Bible each, monogrammed with their given names. Then other gifts had followed.

That is, until today.

Alec looked for her all morning. He listened for the soft purr of her car engine when he padded to the end of the drive to check the mail. He listened for her musical voice each time the front door opened and shut downstairs. He closed his eyes and breathed in the aroma of their home, half-expecting the scent of her homemade cookies to fill the air. But he was left disappointed each time, and for the first time in his life Alec Cullen missed having a grandmother.

A door slammed somewhere downstairs, disturbing Alec from his painting. The fine tip of his paintbrush jarred when he jumped, and a thin line of red streaked across the chromed-out car. Sighing, Alec abandoned his project and listened for his grandmother's voice, but it was Bree's that he was awarded with.

Bree's knuckles rapped lightly on his open door. She leaned against the frame, smiling at the cute boy with the pinched brow and red-stained fingers.

"Your dad let me in. I hope that's okay. I know I was just here."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Alec looked at her. Really looked at her, because she looked different. Her normally pin-straight hair fell in pretty waves past her shoulders, and she wore a little lipstick on her lips.

Bree blushed under his concentrated stare, and tucked a lock of hair behind one ear. He swiveled around in his desk chair to watch her climb onto his bed. She crossed her legs underneath her body, and shyly patted the space beside her.

Warning bells went off in the back of his mind. Ignoring them, he abandoned his project and joined Bree on his bed. She picked up the Bible Esme gave him from where it rested on his comforter and flipped it open.

"I don't understand most of what I've read," he admitted. "But I do know the basics."

Bree looked up from the book."The basics?"

"Like the commandments." Alec cleared his throat. "Don't steal. Don't kill."

"Have you ever stolen anything?"

Alec thought about it. "Once, when I was six. This kid in my class got this kick-ass Nerf N-Strike for his birthday. I was jealous of his new toy, so I stole one of his old Nerf guns. I didn't think he'd miss it."

"But he did?"

"Nah, he didn't. My dad found it stashed away in the back of my closet. He drug me over to the kid's house with that old gun and made me apologize." Alec grinned. "You ever broke a commandment?"

"Who hasn't?" Bree flipped the thin pages of the Bible briefly before closing the book. "I'm having a difficult time obeying my father. Mostly because I've lost all respect for him."

"Because of the cheating?" Alec immediately felt bad for asking once he noticed the pain in his friend's eyes. "Sorry. I overheard them the night we locked our parents in your bathroom."

"It's not so much about the cheating. It's the way he's been so whatever about the cheating." Bree rolled her eyes. "Like we're supposed to accept Jessica and this new life they've created together. Their entire relationship was built on scandal, lies, and the pain he caused my mom."

A tear escaped her eye, and she was quick to brush it away. But Alec was quicker. He dabbed her cheek with the cuff of his henley, and gave her a smile. He understood pain. A different kind of pain, but pain nonetheless.

Alec took her hand in his and leaned forward to plant of kiss on her newly dried cheek. Bree turned her face at the last minute, and bumped her lips against his. Closing her eyes, she pulled him in for a kiss, so caught up in her own feelings that she didn't notice how rigid his lips had gone under the eager embrace of her mouth.

This could go one of two ways. Alec could go along with it, pretend to like Bree the way she seemed to like him then break her heart at some point in the future. Or he could do it now.

Squeezing his eyes shut he reopened them and grabbed Bree's shoulders to push her away.

Her lips were still in the shape of the kiss she'd given him. Eyes shut until she realized what was happening. The pucker morphed into a look of confusion, then realization, then sadness.

Alec felt sick. Staring off in a daze, he straightened himself on the bed.

Bree frowned at his profile.

"That bad, huh?"

"No." He shook his head, the rest of him vibrating.

"But it was bad, wasn't it?"

"No, not at all." He glanced at Bree unable to give her the reassuring smile he wanted to. "It's me."

Her brow creased. "How do you mean?"

Alec licked his lips in hopes that the words would slip out without him actually having to say them. But it didn't work that way. Nothing was ever that easy.

"I …"

Bree waited patiently, her soft eyes roaming the side of his face. While it hurt, she wasn't all that surprised. She knew it was a long shot. He really was too good looking to be interested in her.

Her patience soon wavered into worry. Alec had never had any trouble confiding in her before. But then again she'd never given him any reason to. Before she was just a friend. Now it was different. She changed it the moment she put her lips on his.

Alec grew visibly nervous in front of her eyes, rubbing his hands on his jeans, unable to look at her.

Grabbing the hand closest to her, she wrapped it in both of hers. In part for support but mostly encouragement to spit it out already. Nervousness by proxy was still just as nerve wracking.

The warmth of Bree's hands surprisingly calmed him a bit. Closing his eyes, he tightened his grip on her fingers, knowing in his heart of hearts it was time. He could trust her. At least, he hoped he could.

"I'm gay."

…

"I could kill him." Esme swore. "Wrap my hands around his Goddamn neck and strangle him to death." She acted out the action with her shaky hands.

Bella blanched hearing a well known Christian of the community take the Lord's name in vain. It made her uncomfortable but she kept her discomfort to herself, letting Esme rant and rave as needed. She had been going on and on about Carlisle ever since she got home, her car in one piece. Bella had followed her inside.

Nearly every piece of glass in the house had been smashed, either in a fit of rage or a case of undocumented domestic violence. Bella couldn't wrap her head around the mess that lay behind the perfect front door of the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood.

The first thing Esme did was grab a crystal decanter and fill her used tumbler with the brown liquid. It sloshed around as she complained about everything that she had but more importantly, the things she didn't.

Bella's empathized with her situation. If Bella were any different. If she didn't have the kids around to keep her grounded, who knew to what levels she would sink.

The more she listened to Esme the more she realized they weren't that different. They just wanted loved. Just wanted wanted.

By the time Esme was done she was spent and sober, having spilled all of the liquor instead of drinking it.

Bella hugged her friend and brushed her flat bangs out of her face before leading her to bed and tucking her in. She was asleep in minutes. Bella brushed her bangs one last time and placed a kiss on her forehead, wishing her better dreams than their shared reality.

On her way out Bella picked up all that she could carry to throw in the trash. It was the least she could do. And she probably would have stayed to finish the job if she hadn't found Carlisle standing in the center of the living room, his suit jacket folded neatly over his arms.

"Well, this is a fine mess she's made. I'm sorry you had to see it."

Bella fumed, sickened by the way he out rightly disrespected his own wife in their own home. The wife he destroyed with his swollen ego and nonstop philandering. What was it with these men that they thought they even had the right?

Furious, Bella dropped everything in her arms. Carlisle flinched when it all crashed to the ground.

"You know, I always had the utmost respect for you. I saw you as this perfect husband, a model man and an upstanding, respectful citizen of this town."

"Bella."

"But I was wrong."

Carlisle went silent, no longer able to keep eye contact.

"Esme may not be perfect but she is a good woman. A beautiful woman who loves you deeply and deserves better. Edward does too. And your grandchildren. This family was torn apart once before and mark my words, it can and will happen again."

Placing his jacket on the arm of the couch, Carlisle sat, bowing his head to run his hands through his hair.

Edward had got it honest. He looked so much like his father. Moved just like him. She just hoped her instincts were right and he was a much better man than his father had been.

Stepping over the pile she had dropped at her feet, Bella glowered at Carlisle's thoroughly shamed profile.

"She didn't make this mess alone. A lot of it was your doing." She added before stomping out.

…

Bella was still fuming when she got home and found Edward waiting on her front porch. Killing the ignition, she sat and stared at him a moment before something clicked.

Every man that she knew of who had left their wife had done it for another woman. A younger, sexier woman. A woman who actually enjoyed the act of sex and who she was sure was better at it than her.

Everything came down to sex. It was high time Bella realized if she wanted to keep a man, she had to bed him. And she had to bed him good.

Thanking God her kids had begged to stay another night at their grandparents, Bella got out of the car and silently walked past Edward to unlock the door then dragged him inside by the front of his coat.

She gave him no time to protest or tell her why he was there. She didn't care. Well, she cared but she didn't. Not enough for her to stop and have time for any second thoughts.

Pushing the door closed with her back, she pulled Edward down, pressing their lips together.

At first Edward didn't know what to do. He had just planned on coming over to talk. When he woke up this morning and Bella wasn't there, he wanted her there to talk. When a funny in the newspaper made him laugh, he wanted her there to show her then laugh and talk. When he accidentally overheard part of a private conversation coming from his son's room this morning, he wanted Bella there so they could discuss it. All Edward wanted to do was talk. But this was good, too.

Edward's arms dangled lifeless to his sides until Bella opened her mouth in search of his tongue. They touched and a tingle shot to Edward's fingers. Grabbing Bella's waist he dug his them into the down of her coat and pulled her into his woke lower half. Talk, his ass. They'd get to that later.

Bella was the first to break the kiss in order to breathe. She wasted no time unzipping her coat. Shrugging it off, she removed Edward's, leaving them both on the floor as she lead him up to her bedroom.

She kicked off her shoes and Edward did the same, his mouth parting when she lifted her shirt over her head, exposing no bra and a perfect set of tear drop breasts.

Crossing the room, she grabbed the hem of Edward's shirt and removed it. The fuzz in his brain lifted briefly enough for him to try and reciprocate and he covered her mouth with his at the same time she went for the button of his jeans.

Everything was all happening so fast. Edward's pants and underwear slid down around his ankles while Bella bent to remove her own. Her tongue licked the tip of his dick on her way up. His legs went weak and he fell to a sitting position on the end of the bed just before Bella's mouth covered the whole head of his incredibly hard cock. It slid down her throat as far as she could take him. Edward's eyes rolled to the back of his head when she swallowed then lifted her head, sinking down on him once more.

Edward's body hummed. It had been so long since he even thought about touching himself that he nearly came after a three second blow job. He prided himself on the fact that he hadn't, his hands going for Bella's hips when she stood to straddle his lap.

Their eyes met just as she sank down on his hardness, the entire thing sliding straight into her.

She stilled once he filled her. She had expected it to be big but not this big. Good thing she was already good and wet before they really got started.

"You okay?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded, a few strings of her hair falling forward to grace his bare shoulder. He fingered the strands then palmed her cheek, placing a kiss on her lips. His hand moved to her neck, touching the spot that had always turned her on and she opened her mouth, her tongue sliding across his as she started to move.

Edward's hands briefly steadied her hips before wrapping one around her back. The other worshipped her, moving from her waist, up her arm and over her breast. Sliding up the center of her chest his thumb and four fingers V'd her throat. She tipped her head back, grinding herself into his groin.

Edward was in awe of the woman on top of him, taking such immense pleasure from his touch and his body. She responded to everything so perfectly.

Wrapping both arms around her waist, Edward met her thrust for thrust, wanting nothing more than to watch her come and then come himself.

It took all he had to ward it off but the sound of her first moan sent him right over the edge. Pressing his forehead into her chest, he hugged her waist and moaned against her skin as he came. The move caused her to moan again, this time louder and she stilled, clenching around him.

Residual quakes of long-needed release rocked through them while they held each other, panting into the other's shoulder in search for their breath.

Once they caught it, Edward kissed the space between her breasts and smiled.

Looking up, he saw that Bella was smiling too.

* * *

See y'all Friday!


	11. Chapter 11

So sorry we forgot to update last Friday! Life got in the way.

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Chapter Eleven:

Piper's piping

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Eleven Faithful Apostles

Trust

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The Newton clan's Christmas tree stood stoic and bare between the bay windows of the living room. Bella tottered precariously atop a small stepladder removing the last decoration from its perch. She climbed down the short steps with an old, fragile tree topper in one hand.

"Grandma Newton's old tree topper." Bree leaned on the open arch of an entrance between the living room and main hallway. Her eyes were pink and puffy.

Bella's heart sped up at the sight of her daughter's distraught face. "Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bree laughed and wiped her nose with the cuff of her shirt sleeve. "I did something stupid yesterday."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Bree sucked in a deep breath. "No, I don't think I do. Not right now at least. Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay."

Bella wrapped the antique angel in sheets of thin, aged paper and placed it back in the original box she'd received it in. Once it was tucked safely inside the appropriate plastic storage container, Bella turned back to her daughter and offered her a smile.

"Want to help me carry this tree outside? Edward's coming over later to help me dispose of it. I thought maybe he and the rest of his crew could hang out here tonight."

"Wow, Mom. First a date, now family game night. Things seem to be getting pretty serious."

Bella flushed remembering the other day when she uncharacteristically seduced her unsuspecting neighbor and waited until she crawled underneath the tree to reply. "How do you feel about Edward and I dating?"

Holding the tree in place as her mom unscrewed it from the mount, Bree shrugged. "I dunno. Okay, I guess. He's nice."

"And the kids? I know Jane's … different. But you two seemed to have worked things out."

"Jane's just Jane, Mom. There's nothing to work out. She's got issues like everyone else."

The shaking of the tree stopped. "Like everyone else?" Bella laughed, and the shaking proceeded as she unscrewed the mounts below. "You don't have issues."

Bree bit her tongue. Of course she had issues. Who didn't? Her relationship with her father was pretty much nonexistent, and the guy she liked just announced he was gay. Bella muttered something and Bree shook her head, clearing her mind.

"What'd you say, Mom?"

"I said don't make them your own." The weight of the tree shifted. Bella stood and helped her daughter lower the tree. "Other people's issues. They belong to them, not you. Don't make them your own. That's a problem I have, and I don't want you to carry that same kind of burden."

"You didn't make Dad cheat on you," Bree thought aloud as they lugged the tree outside.

"And you didn't know Alec was gay."

Bree's eyes widened. "How did you—"

"Edward called." Bella's eyes softened, and her heart went along with it. "Sweetie, Alec is worried sick that you're mad at him."

"I'm not mad. I'm mortified." The tale-tell blush she shared with her mother burned her cheeks. "I—I couldn't tell he was gay."

"I know. He looks so normal," Bella said in a flat, sarcastic voice, one eyebrow raised.

"Mom, I didn't mean it like that." The two propped the tree against the house near the trash bins. Bree wiped her hands on her jeans and looked at her mother. "I mean, I've never met a gay person before."

Bella laughed at the naivety of her oldest child and said, "You have met your uncle Steve, right?"

Bree's mouth opened in shock, but before she could fully register her mother's words, a shiney newer vehicle slowed near the end of the drive. Esme Cullen pulled into the driveway, flashing an uncertain smile as she cut the engine and climbed hesitantly from the car.

"Honey, why don't you go inside. We'll finish this conversation later," Bella suggested.

"I'll go inside, but this conversation is so not happening for, like, ever." Bree skulked inside as her mother approached Esme.

"I wanted to come over and apologize," Esme said, shivering. "And thank you."

"Thank me? What for?"

"For whatever you said to Carlisle. He wouldn't go into detail. I don't think he meant to tell me at all but he let it slip that it was you who made him realize we needed help. We have our first appointment next Monday with a therapist."

Bella couldn't believe what she said had worked. "Oh Esme, that's great." She held out her arms and stepped closer to embrace her friend. "I hope everything works out between you and Carlisle. I hope you can do what Mike and I couldn't."

Esme tightened her grip around her sweet friend. "Mike's an idiot. We both know that. Someone better is going to come your way, you'll see."

The two released one another. Esme noticed the look on Bella's face.

"I actually already met someone."

"Really? Who? Do I know him?"

Bella nodded, looking down at the ground and smirked. "Yes, you know him."

Esme glanced over at Edward's house just as he exited the front then back to Bella without her noticing.

"It's Edward, your son."

"Ohh! I knew it. I knew it. I knew it," Esme sang. "The first time you two laid eyes on each other, I saw something there. There was a spark." Her eyes lit with imaginary fireworks. "And here comes the man of the hour." Esme looked over Bella's shoulder at her son approaching. He looked happier than she'd seen him, well, since he'd moved back here. She had Bella to thank for that.

Stopping beside Bella, Edward placed his hand on her lower back. "Hey." He planted a kiss on her temple. Bella flushed from the PDA, especially since it was in front of Edward's mother.

Edward nodded at Esme. "Mom. Bella get you home okay yesterday?"

It was Esme's turn to flush. She had no idea Edward had known about her latest slip up. "Yes, she was an angel. I'm sorry she had to see me like that. I'm sorry it happened at all."

Edward had heard it all before. But he'd give her the benefit of the doubt. For his kids sake. "Are you and Dad busy tonight? I thought maybe you could stop by later. We're having a game night of sorts at Bella's, if you'd like to come."

Esme beamed, nearly letting her emotions get the best of her, but she managed to swallow down the tears.

"Yes, of course. We'd love to. Thank you."

Esme gave them both strong hugs. She left with a big smile and the time to be back at Bella's for family game night. Edward and Bella waved her off.

"That was very nice of you," Bella said as she turned to Edward. Placing her hands against the puffiness of his winter coat, she rose to her toes to give Edward a kiss just as another car pulled up.

It honked and Bella jumped. Turning, she fought back a glare when she saw Mike behind the wheel.

Rolling down the window, he let his music blare out into the cold before turning it down.

"Bella. Edward …" Mike greeted the couple with as much grace as he could muster. He hated seeing his ex wife with another man, but he supposed he'd made his bed. Now he would have to lie in it.

"I was hoping I could come by after work and see the kids. Just me. I want to see them before I go out of town." Mike had never been one to beg. "Please."

Edward put his hand on Bella's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

She sighed. "Ok, Mike. But Edward, his parents and kids will be here. We're having a …" Bella wasn't sure if she should say, 'family game night.' "You're welcome to come and see the kids then."

Edward pulled her closer into his embrace and stood tall with pride.

Mike hesitantly conceded before turning the music back up and spinning his tires out of there.

Edward placed another kiss on Bella's mouth. "That was very nice of you," He parroted against her lips and kissed her again. Longer, deeper. Good enough to get an approving honk of Alice's horn as she pulled into the driveway.

Cutting the engine, she jumped out. "Woo! You guys are gonna melt the snow!" Pleased as punch, Alice ran around her car in six inch stilettos.

"That's my sister, Alice. She's gonna wanna hug you. Might even squeeze your butt." Bella warned Edward. He glanced down at her and quirked a brow. Bella shrugged. "What can I say? She's a fan."

Stepping away from Edward, Bella hugged her sister. Alice squeezed her, rocking side to side as she squealed. "Ah!" She exclaimed once she let go of Bella, throwing her arms up in excitement before wrapping them around Edward as well. True to Bella's words, she copped a quick feel then stepped back. "I'm Alice and I know who you are. I could pick that be-hind out of a lineup." She slapped his butt. Alice had always been one to overstep her bounds. "You're going to be so good for our Bella. She needs to have some fun. If you know what I mean." She elbowed Edward in the ribs.

"Yeah. We all know what you mean, Alice." Bella assured her.

Thoroughly amused, Edward put his arm back around Bella and placed another kiss on her temple.

"It's nice to meet you, Alice."

Alice ignored Edward's greeting, too immersed in the adorable couple in front of her. "Ooh, you two are so cute." She rubbed their outer arms. "All right, I'm off to girl talk with that sweet niece of mine. Nice to meet you Edward! See you inside!" She took off for the house in search of Bree.

Bella frowned down at the ground. "Hey, what's wrong?" Edward tipped Bella's chin so she'd look at him.

"Oh, it's silly, really."

Edward wasn't having any of that.

Bella sighed. "I asked Bree if she wanted to talk earlier … about Alec. Anyway, she said no. She must have called Alice right after." Bella felt sorry for herself for a moment. "But enough about me. How did your talk go with Alec? How is he? How are you?"

Edward briefly looked out into the distance. "It's an adjustment. I'm mostly hurt that he felt he couldn't tell me. I've never once given him a reason not to want to confide in me. At least, I don't think I have. My kids have always given it to me straight."

Bella nodded, understanding and empathy written all over her face. "Yes. I know what you mean."

"I still love him the same. I still look at him the same. Nothing could change that."

"Does he know that? Did you tell him?

"Of course I did."

"And?"

"And then we hugged. He cried. I think mostly over Bree. He really does love her. I think he's upset that he knows he can never love her like that. Not in the way that—" Edward stopped himself before he confessed to Bella that was how he loved her. "A man and a woman love each other."

Bella's heart swelled, knowing exactly what he was saying. She felt the same way, too.

"I can see why that would be upsetting. Same for Bree. She loves Alec, too. She could never hate him. I'm sure he could understand the embarrassment she's going through. She's not one to put herself out there like she did. I don't think she'd ever kissed a boy before Alec and knowing he can't reciprocate." Bella shrugged. "Her ego's simply taken a hit. She'll get over it and things will be back to normal." Bella was sure of it.

"I'm sure you're right." Edward kissed Bella on the forehead then removed his arm from around her shoulder so he could tie the tree on top of her van.

Every year Bella donated their tree to the wildlife sanctuary. Edward thought it incredibly thoughtful which made him fall deeply in love with her all that much more. Everything she did was thoughtful and kind. Sexy and sweet. She was smart and silly. Accepting of the good and understanding of the bad. She took to his kids right away, as if they were her own. Less than a week ago, Edward didn't think he deserved her. Today, he didn't care. He had her for now. She had him forever.

…

Later that night, the Newton home was full. Not only with family, friends and a whole hoard of board games, but laughter, love, and the hope that it all really could last.

* * *

One more! See ya tomorrow!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Drummers drumming

Epiphany Eve

* * *

For those who feel they all loved a little too quickly, remember Prince fell in love with a woman just for wearing a raspberry beret.

* * *

Jane sat in rapture as Mrs. Banner, the preacher's wife tried to answer Jake's question.

"So … is masturbation a sin or not?"

She fumbled over her choice of words, settling on how that was something they should discuss with their parents.

Jane smiled, propping her chin on her fist. Jake was so inappropriate and tall, dark and handsome and she loved it.

"You love him," Bree teased her. Jane smacked her arm with he back of her hand.

"Do not."

She so did.

"You so do."

"Couldn't be more obvious about it," Alec added.

Jane crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her brother as Mrs. Banner hushed the class, wrapping it up with one of her inspirational closings.

"And remember class, if we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He," she pointed at the ceiling. "is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and continuously cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Which means …" She drawled out, making sure everyone is paying attention. "If you're truly remorseful for something you've done or said, admit what was done or said, ask forgiveness and you will be forgiven. It's that easy. Okay?"

We all mumbled a response.

"Alright." She clapped her hands together then raised one in the air. "Praise, Him. Now, let us pray."

Everyone but Jane and Alec bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Instead they spoke with theirs. Jane, her remorse. Alec, his forgiveness. By the time bible study let out, it was like any other day.

The three teens picked up the little ones from their age group on the way to meet up with Edward and Bella. The eight of them filed out of the church doors and into the new nine-seater Edward had purchased shortly after the death of the van.

Bella had refused to accept it until he told her it was the least she could do. How else were they all going to get to church every Sunday?

Nearly twelve months later …

It had been three hundred and fifty-nine days since Esme's last drink. Nine months since Carlisle and her declared their marriage officially over. She was dating some guy named Aro now. His wardrobe consisted of black and navy blazers, beaten-soft loafers, and turtlenecks. Lots of turtlenecks. He smoked expensive cigars and slicked his hair back with pomegranate-scented gel. He spoke with an accent, but no one was exactly sure where he was from. Esme met him on a Norwegian Cruise this past summer. She returned to dry land not only with a tan, but also a hulking European.

Edward didn't like it. Not one bit.

He thought about how much he disliked it as he helped Bella toss tinsel on her tree. Esme and Aro laughed in the adjoining dining room. Edward narrowed his eyes, leaned back on the step stool, and peered at the couple. They were sitting across from one another at the dining room table and sharing a gingerbread cookie. Aro snapped a limb off the gingerbread man and fed it to Edward's giggling mother. Edward's extreme rubbernecking caused him to nearly fall off the small ladder.

"Calm down, Tiger." Bella stood below him, steadying him with one hand while handing him an ornament with the other. "You okay?"

"I don't like him." Edward took the glass angel and hooked it onto a limb.

"Who? Aro? Why not?"

"He's …" Edward grasped for a reason, and came up empty handed. So he made one up. "He's so European."

Adjusting the cowl neck sweater she wore, Bella cast another look into the dining room. Aro swept sugar-coated cookie crumbs from Esme's mouth using his thumb. He whispered something in a low, foreign tongue. Esme captured his finger between her teeth.

"Yeah," Bella said in a low voice, feeling quite hot all of a sudden. "Yeah, he certainly is."

A door slammed somewhere in another room. Jane kicked off her shoes in the kitchen and padded across the living room to inspect the tree. Evidence of the younger Newton and Cullen kids lay forgotten on the floor below the tree: strewn toys, a few broken ornaments. They'd grown bored with the tree decorating and wandered upstairs to the playroom.

"Looks good," Jane said. Bella and Edward both suppressed the urge to gush. The mean girl from months prior transformed into a frequently positive, but still sometimes sulky teen.

Still an improvement.

"What's dad glaring at?" Jane followed his line of vision then broke into a mischievous smile. "Ah, Granddaddy Aro."

"That man is not your grandfather." The words came out of Edward's mouth in a low growl.

Jane tugged at the neck of her own colorful sweater. "No. No, he certainly isn't."

The two females shared a giggle, loud enough to draw Aro and Esme's attention from the other room. They left their table and cookies behind and meandered into the living room.

Esme wrapped her arm around Jane's waist. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing much. Dad was just telling us how cute you and Aro are together." Jane gave her father a sly smile.

Balking, Edward stumbled and fumbled to come up with a response, but again came up short. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "Bree's been looking for you Jane. I think she's in the kitchen with the boys."

A new kind of sneakiness brightened Jane right on up. She discreetly patted her coat pocket where a gift was secretly stashed inside. She'd taken a few odd jobs in town during the summer to save up for it. Mostly babysitting. She'd found it surprisingly fun and rewarding. And now she was ready to bear the fruits of her labor. Matching sterling silver sister bracelets for her and Bree.

"Great! Guess I'll see you guys later. Have fun decorating the tree." After placing a sweet kiss on her grandmother's cheek, she slipped out of her grasp and made a mad dash for the back of the house.

"Such an adorable young lady." Aro snuggled up next to Esme, who glowed with adoration. "And such wonderful manners."

You didn't know her a year ago, Bella thought to herself, but bit her tongue. What's done was done, and the past was in the past. No need to revisit sadder times. She and Edward had decided to step back and let the kids work their own problems out unless there was an urgent need to step in. It was Bella's idea, really. She'd always had to fight her own battles with Alice, and the two sisters were closer than ever. Even more so now that Alice had moved to New York. Something about distance and a fond heart.

Speaking of Alice …

The front doorbell dinged and Bella squealed a little squeal. Edward nearly toppled off the ladder again when Bella darted away from the tree. The younger Newton children thumped downstairs. The three tackled Alice as she stepped inside the foyer.

"Did you guys miss me or something?"

All three shouted a resounding, "Yeah!"

Alice giggled, cramming them all into a tight hug.

"Who's that?" Charles asked, looking over Alice's shoulder.

The tall, unfamiliar shaggy blond man smiled and waved, holding out a large paper bag. "I'm Jasper. I brought the presents."

The kids celebrated with another cheer, grabbing the bag from Jasper's hand. They ran into the living room and dumped them on the floor before divvying them up amongst each other.

Alice and Bella smiled at each other then hugged again. Just the two of them.

"When are you moving back?"

"When are you moving to New York?"

"Never."

Alice laughed into her sister's shoulder, squeezing her a bit tighter before letting her go so she could hug Edward, too.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Jasper, mah boyfriend." Alice bragged proudly. Throwing an arm around her sister's shoulder, she whispered in her ear. "He's a butt model."

Bella checked Alice's hip, welcoming her butt model boyfriend with a hug before leading them all into the dining room where Jane was setting the table for the dinner Bree and Alec had slaved over all day.

The two sat side by side, holding hands for grace, Bree wondering how she ever thought of Alec as anything other than a brother.

She squeezed the hand of the boy sitting on the other side of her. Ben was different from Alec in every way. He had black hair and light blue eyes. A brawny build from lifting for football. But most of all, he actually liked kissing her.

It turned out Jake, who was currently sitting on the other side of Alec, liked kissing boys. Though it nearly broke Jane's heart, she got over it quickly and her brother and him had been going strong now for almost a year.

Jane was still Jane but with a little less attitude. She was currently juggling three

guys, none of which she'd ever invite to a family function, especially since she had been repeatedly forced to sit at the kid's table.

Heidi, Charles and Wren were all three in the same fourth grade class and reading at an eighth grade level.

That was way higher than Jessica, who had left Mike in favor of Carlisle since Mike had stopped going to the gym and gained seventy-five pounds.

The kids plowed through their plates, ready to open some presents in no time. They begged and begged until the adults gave in and followed them to the living room.

Wrapping paper flew every which way as Esme snapped some candid shots. When they were all done, or so Bella thought, they pulled out one last gift from under the tree and handed it to her.

"For me? Are you sure?" she asked, turning the small package in her hands. "Who's it from?" There was no name, no indication it was meant for her but everyone in the room seemed to be in agreeance.

"It's yours. Just open it," Edward insisted.

Bella's stomach did somersaults as she slid off the cranberry bow then tore into the silver wrapping paper until a black velvet box was sitting in the center of her palm.

Her hands shook, slipping off the soft velvet as she attempted to open it.

Kneeling in front of her, Edward stilled her hands with his then took the box from her. She gasped when he opened it, revealing a softly squared diamond with a diamond band.

"Bella," Edward started, pulling her attention from the beautiful ring to him. "Your beauty doesn't just rest on your face, in your heart or your soul. It was your mind I grew to love first. Your thoughts and your words inspired me. They do to this day." He briefly looked down at their joined hands. "We've discussed fear and sadness, horror, mystery and action. But I chose this ring for romance. For how your face lights up when you read it. Austen, Bronte. Even your guilty pleasures, Nora Roberts and Nicholas sparks. Yes, I know you hide them under your bed."

Everyone shared a laugh. Bella sniffed, wiping away tears.

"I want to write our own romance, together. I want to be the one making you light up like that. I'll spend the rest of my life trying. Will you let me, Bella? Will you live happily ever after with me? With us?"

Bella could barely breathe, let only sound out the word, "Yes!"

Launching herself off the couch, she threw her arms around Edward's neck, nearly knocking him on his ass.

The two laughed and hugged and kissed, welcoming all their kids with open arms when they wanted to join the celebration.

The ring had barely been slipped on her finger when Esme and Alice started discussing wedding plans.

"Destination wedding. It's the only way to do it," Alice said.

Esme disagreed. "Traditional is the only way to go. It should be in a church, shouldn't it?"

Stroking Esme's hand, Aro tossed in his two cents. "So, we do in Duomo di Milano. Yes? I pay. You stay my villa after." He points between Bella and Edward. "Due settimane. Two weeks." He shrugs, like it's nothing to fly a whole wedding party to Italy and pay for every single matrimonial accommodation, including the honeymoon.

They couldn't.

Could they?

Leaving the plans open on the table, they chose to live in the moment instead.

They'd get married one day. In a church or a romantic, Italian cathedral or maybe just at the courthouse in front of God and a judge.

It didn't really matter how. It didn't even really matter when or where.

All that mattered was all eight of them were there.

Together.

Forever.

Happily ever after.

* * *

The End

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